The Great Calamity
by rsdrake
Summary: Link begins his journey as a Royal Guard trainee, until prophetic dreams lead him to find the Master Sword, and his new life begins. Link becomes the appointed knight to the princess, Zelda. Their journey together takes them across Hyrule to prepare for the arrival of the calamity. Link learned to control his emotions, but a rambunctious princess continues to test his mettle.
1. Dreams

**A/N: This is my first time even writing a story. Hope y'all like it! I'm planning on following BOTW story line pre-calamity to an extent. Link and Zelda's future relationship in the coming chapters will be different than that of the memories in game. Rating M for graphic fight scenes, language, and romance. Italics denote Link's thoughts, quoted italics are when someone is telepathically speaking to him. Also I don't own Zelda or anything about it.**  
Ch 1: Dreams  
_Please….find….me….forest…..embers_

I woke up sweating, again. The last few nights had been, rough to say the least. These fragmented dreams, they all seemed connected. A foggy forest filled with scary looking trees that seemed to watch me as I walked aimlessly through the wood. _Whatever_, I thought to myself. I heard stirring nearby, my roommate was probably waking up too. It was about time for another long run, just like every Wednesday. I rolled myself out of bed and threw on my running shorts tying the laces. Next my socks and running boots followed by my brown cotton shirt. I looked over myself in the mirror in the dimly lit candlelight.

_These dreams are fucking up my sleep, and I need all the rest I can get with the tournament next week._

It wasn't so much I was worried, I mean, everyone kept saying I easily had it in the bag. Telling me I was the best swordsman Hyrule's ever seen, my strength and skill unparalleled by even those in the Royal Guard. The same Royal Guard I'd be joining upon graduation after the tournament. My roommate, Johnny, finally sat up rubbing his eyes. He was taller than me, darker brown hair with the same lively grin he always had. Johnny had a bulkier frame than myself, even though we'd discovered after some friendly competition that I was stronger. I still haven't let him live that one down.

He turned to me, "Shit Link, already up?"

I chuckled and replied, "Yeah, weird dreams again."

He sat up and followed the same process of getting dressed, when we heard the shrill sound of a whistle blowing in the hallway outside our room."Guess that's first call, let's get out there real quick," Johnny scooted me out of the way of the mirror. He began shaving the stubble off his face while I finished tightening the laces on my boots. In the hallway more screaming, "Hurry up lazy-asses we got 7 miles this morning!" Collective groans were heard throughout the barracks after the captain told us the plan. Johnny and I got into the hallway and began with stretches to loosen up for the long run.

"Here we go," Johnny smirked when we stepped out of the barracks. The crisp, damp morning air hit me. Rubbing the goosebumps on my arm, I hopped a bit to get my blood flowing. Feeling a little warmer the captain addressed us again, "Link, on me!" He was a broad-shouldered older gentleman with streaks of gray in his short hair. The criss-crossed scars on his face each told a story of his time as a Royal Guard. An imposing man, to say the least, standing a full head taller than Johnny. I sprinted to the captain, rendering a salute which he returned before speaking, "You lead the run, take the route through the front gate, up the hill around the large tree to the southwest. You'll have 50 minutes to get everyone back here." He spun on his heels and walked off. I was the platoon commander for the trainees so it was my job to relay orders from our lead trainer, Captain Typhon.I turned and shouted, "Two ranks on me!" The Royal Guards to be fell in quickly behind me, a class of 21 that started with 60 candidates. With that we began the long run, a brisk seven-minute pace. It wasn't too much for us at this point in training, we'd been training hard for almost six months up to this point. We'd pushed our bodies well beyond our limits to ensure we were in the best possible shape to serve the royal family.

We passed through the dark, quiet streets of Castle Town, with very few citizens stirring at this ungodly hour. The café owner, as always, gave us a pleasant smile and wave as we passed, "Y'all have fun boys!" We smiled back at the old woman, she was always so cheery, a pleasant sight in our current state. After passing the front gates, the sun finally began to rise. The light began to glow and reflect off of the dew-covered grass. _Man, this view never ceases to amaze me, _I thought to myself looking over the expanse of green hills rolling with trees spotting the surface. At about three miles, the large hill the captain referred to came into view, the large tree on the top. It was a rather large hill, and we always made a game of racing to the top. Right at the bottom, the curve slowly beginning and everyone already began to break formation and get in a straight, horizontal line along the base of the hill. "Take the hill!" As soon as I screamed the order, all of my brothers sprinted full speed. First one there always got to choose their fire watch shift the next week. Fire watch was basically just pulling an all-nighter to walk down the hallway of the barracks so nobody snuck in or out after hours. Putting everything into my sprint, me and Johnny were neck and neck. He pulled ahead and, as always, forgot about the notorious pot hole in the hill. After a good faceplant, I took the win.

"You alright buddy?" I hollered while chuckling down to my roommate, he gave me a thumbs up that turned into a middle finger, "Fuck yourself," he peered up off the grass with a grin. After everyone hit the tree, they got in two columns behind me and we began the run back. Johnny was limping a bit, but he trudged on through the pain. He'd never let a little ankle sprain slow him down if it meant keeping up with me. Again, passing the café, the old lady smiled and waved at the mass of sweaty royal guard trainees. Arriving back at the barracks, we broke formation and began stretching on our own. The captain called out, "Link, report!" I, again, sprinted and saluted. He reciprocated, "47 minutes, not bad son." He patted my shoulder, grinning a grin we don't see very often. "Take your brothers in for chow and get cleaned up, then we will meet in the classroom in 30 minutes to discuss the tournament." He spoke plainly. "Yes, captain," I replied then turned to my brothers, "Let's get some food boys, 30 minutes for a brief in the classroom!" Everyone silently acknowledged and got on the move.

In the dining hall, guards, guard trainees, royal guard trainees, and servants to the guard sat amongst each other for meals. Royal guards ate in the castle with the castle's servants, they got way better food than us. We got the same as every morning: scrambled eggs, a few slices of ham, and a ripped-off chunk of bread. Johnny sat beside me and began to speak through bites, "You…excited…for…tournament?" I laughed at his food spraying all over the wooden picnic table, swallowing my bite, "Yeah man, it'll be a great chance to really test my skills. With a real sword not a blunt training sword." We both laughed at that and finished up our meals in silence. A young, brunette servant walked by. She stared and smiled at Johnny; I think she worked polishing the guard's equipment. "Dude, after the brief about the tournament we're done for the day. You should go talk to her." I said, winking at Johnny. He got red in the face and quickly spoke, "Come on man, let's go get cleaned up we can't be late to the Captain's brief." _What a puss, they both got it for each other but he's being apprehensive._ I was lost in thought, internally laughing at my roommate when he grabbed me, "Come on, let's get cleaned up we're gonna be late."

After a shower, we got in our training uniform. I got to the classroom shortly after and got a headcount then addressed Captain Typhon, "All present, Captain." He looked over the seated trainees, "Very well, take your seat Link." I saluted and took my seat up front. We spent the next hour asking questions about the tournament next week. It was to take place in front of the castle, in a large courtyard. The day prior would be try-outs and the best 16 would be allowed to participate in the official tournament. One ring, single elimination. Points would be earned with successful strikes on your opponent, the amount was determined by the judge and five points was a win. Best of three rounds with each opponent, with the final bout being the best of five rounds. Finally, the Captain concluded the brief, "You are not all required to try out for the tournament but," he grinned, "there is an incredibly worthwhile prize for the victor." Looking around, everyone began whispering. They were speculating what could possibly be the prize for such a victory. "Silence!" The Captain commanded and everyone followed his order. "Link, dismiss your brothers. You have the rest of the week off until the tournament next Wednesday." I saluted and relayed the message to my fellow trainees, "We are dismissed, we have no training or guard duty for the next week until after the tournament. Be safe, check in with me if you can every evening." Everyone sat up quick with bright smiles and excited hoots before leaving the classroom.

Johnny walked up as the crowd thinned, "Got any plans today Link?" I rubbed my eyes, "Yeah, napping." We shared a hearty laugh, "These weird dreams keep messing with me so I'm gonna try and catch up on some sleep. See ya later Johnny, don't forget to stop by your girlfriend before you leave the barracks for the day." I cooed at him jokingly, his face reddening like a radish again. He punched my shoulder on the way out, "See you later loser." I just waved in response and made my way back to our room.

_A serious nap is in order for me._ As soon as I opened the door, my uniform hit the floor in no time flat. Only a few moments after, my heavy eyes closed and I drifted off again. _The forest again, why is it so foggy?_ I looked around and saw the strange trees that seemed to be watching me. I held only a torch. A voice whispered through the fog, "_Embers….follow….embers…"_ and the whisper slowly started to drift off into silence through the shifting wind. _The shifting wind?_ I glanced at the torch and watch the flame change direction as I walked, the embers drifting in the constantly changing winds. I followed the embers and soon the fog lifted. The last thing I saw before waking up was a huge tree with a face and a sword in a stone. "_Master, come find me…"_


	2. The Blade of Evil's Bane

Ch 2: The Sword of Evil's Bane  
I awoke with a start. _That dream was so much clearer, no fragments._ Instantly, I ran to the classroom.

Inside I looked to the back of the room and saw the numerous bookcases. I had a feeling I knew what I was looking for, but I had to confirm it. Scanning, I saw and old, leather-bound book. _The Legend of the Hero of Twilight._ I scanned the pages, skipping over his younger years. _Chapter 8: The Lost Woods_. I read these pages more closely then came upon the excerpt I was looking for, "_The lost woods housed an old temple, that held the Master Sword, the Sword of Evil's Bane. After making it through the treacherous Lost Woods…_"

_Was it really just a dream, or?_ I thought to myself. _There's no way this sword is calling to me, right?_ Right after that thought my mind was invaded and I dropped the book, _"You are my chosen hero Link, the Sword calls out to its new master, traverse the lost woods and claim your destiny."_

The heavenly voice vacated my mind. I picked myself off the ground, _I hope I never have to feel whatever that was again. _I rubbed my head, understanding now that these dreams were more than that. I replaced the book on the shelf, then ran back to my room. Packing up my survival backpack with the essentials, my Snowquill down sleeping bag, a day's worth of rations, my sword, and my fire starter. I threw on my white undershirt, light chainmail, then my black tunic with my tan cotton pants and leather boots. I pulled on my leather gauntlets fitted with fingerless gloves. All prepped and ready to go, I grabbed one more thing out of the hallway. I removed a lit torch from one of their racks and put the flame out, tying it to my pack.

Once outside another of my brothers, Bolin, saw me leaving, "Hey Link, going on a hike or something?" He inquired while walking closer, "Yeah, sort of." I didn't want to tell him where I was going because he would definitely enlist help to try and stop me. "Where are you going then?" He was asking way too many questions, "It's a secret spot, Bolin. My go-to relaxation spot." I half-smiled trying to make a believable lie. Thank the goddesses he fell for it, "Okay then, keep your secrets Link," he laughed it off and walked off. I had two more similar encounters on the way out, lying my way out of it. I didn't like lying to my brothers but I couldn't let them stop me. For some reason I knew I had to do this, I couldn't stop now.

I left the walls of Castle Town and circled to the east then north to the lost woods. There was very little interaction on the way, crossing a few bridges over the Hylia river. I passed the second bridge after a few hours, and I began to head east again. I soon arrived at the narrow path through the trees of the Minishi Woods, the woods that led right to the Lost Woods. Soon the eerie noises of the forest grew louder as the fog grew thicker. I used my fire starter on my torch, holding it in my right hand. I drew my sword into my left hand. Soon, a sound like that of children's laughter picked up. _This is creepy as hell. Focus, Link! Eyes on the embers._ I shook off the strange noises invading my head and kept my eyes on my surroundings, and my torch. Following with each change in the wind for what felt like hours.

Finally, the fog began to thin, _did I really make it through?!_ I grinned wide as I saw the image from my dreams come to live, but much more vivid. There were huge tree roots spanning over the trail, spread out to allow the dying sunlight to illuminate the path. _It was almost dark, I better figure out what I'm here for soon,_ I thought to myself. Looking ahead, a blue glow illuminated a large stone pedestal. _Oh my goddess. It really is that sword._ I saw the dark blue hilt and almost white metal of the blade stuck into the stone block on the platform. As I got closer I became more entranced with its appearance, inspecting the inscription of the Triforce. Then a female voice seemed to speak to me, different from the one earlier in the classroom. She spoke softly, _"Claim the sword, Link. My lady chose you."_ I obliged and stood before the sword, my hands prepared to grip the hilt after sheathing my own and setting my torch on the stone platform. I approached the sword and another voice boomed, much deeper, "Young hero, claim your destiny. You are chosen by the Goddess herself to serve Hyrule and join the princess in sealing the darkness." I searched for the source of the voice when it hit me, the huge tree I missed while entranced with sword had eyes and a mouth.

It smiled at me and spoke again, "I am the Great Deku Tree, claim your birthright young hero. Begin your journey." I nodded and set my hands on the handle and the blade began to glow. My hands instantly warmed up and I felt power rush through me as I pulled the blade from the stone. The sword slid easily, now free from the stone. Again, the gentle voice spoke to me as the blade hummed with each syllable, "You have claimed me and the sword master. We serve you and only you until our destinies are no longer tied." Still surprised, I spoke back to the sword, "Who are you? Are you in the sword?" The sword glowed in response then the voice spoke, "Myself and the sword are but one half, made whole by you, the Chosen Hero. I am the one chosen by the Goddess to lead and assist the hero in his journey." _Well as far as explanations go that was mediocre, whatever I'll take what I can get._ I shrugged and reaching back to find a place for the Master Sword, I noticed a new sheathe appeared on my back, as if by some magic. I pulled it off and inspected the intricate golden inlays into the velvety purple-blue sheath that would house the Master Sword. I put it in the sheath and strapped the sword on my back and the Deku Tree spoke again, "Chosen by the Goddess, you, the hero, will carry out her will in stopping the great darkness that approaches. It is imperative you inform your superiors about your new status as the hero. Additionally, you must enter and win the tournament held next week, the prize you will receive is a necessity to complete your journey. But fight your fellow Hylians not with the Master Sword, as it should never be wielded against friend or those pure of heart, but only those of darkness. Keep your new blade close to you at all times, your strength is enhanced by its presence. Bear this in mind in your future interactions, your new power will strengthen you to levels you may see as impossible. Spend your evening here Chosen Hero, beneath my roots you may rest. I know you may have many questions, all of which will be answered in time. Rest now, and return to your brothers and kingdom at sunrise to begin your journey to vanquish the darkness."

With that long speech the Deku Tree's mouth ceased movement and the eyes seemed to droop closed slowly. Feeling the exhaustion spread through my body, I felt I should follow suit with the Great Tree. I found a nice spot between some roots in the thick grass and spread out my sleeping bag, laying my travel pack and swords within arm's reach. My mind was racing still from the events of the last hour but not long after, exhaustion took its toll.


	3. The New Hero

Chapter 3: The New Hero

No dreams disrupted my sleep under the Great Deku Tree, just quiet, uninterrupted slumber. My eyes fluttered open as sunlight filtered through the green canopy above. With half-lidded eyes I took in the now brighter scenery of the forest. Beautiful blue and white flowers spotted the grass and ferns surrounding the pedestal. There was more life, with squirrels and rabbits running about to avoid the foxes sneaking in the grass. Additionally, there were several small, chubby tree people. They had leaves for faces with haphazard looking features cut out. They waddled around like chubby kids, and acted like them too. Running and frolicking with the wildlife, then one floated down slowly with a leaf propeller onto my chest.

"Hello big man! My name is Makar, are you the new hero?" He had a cheerful look on his leaf-face thing as he spoke to me. I smiled at the small creature, "Well I recently came upon the new title. I'm Link, what are you exactly?" I smiled so as to not seem rude with my bluntness. He just continued in his cheery, high-pitched voice, "We are the native people of the Lost Woods, the Koroks!" He hopped up and down as he responded, the sound of a jingling bell coming from him as he did. I couldn't hold my laughter back watching his excitement, then he hopped down and waddled off, "See you later big hero man!"

"_Master, I think it's time we return to your brothers," _the sword hummed from its sheathe. I wrapped up my gear and took an apple out of my pack, "I agree, also, what should I call you? Swordie?" I started giggling at my own joke, "_Well technically my name is Fi. But you can call me whatever you like, master," _she responded in a matter of fact tone. "Then I think we'll go with that, Fi," with that reply I finished my apple and grabbed my travel pack.

On my walk back, I grabbed my torch off the pedestal and the Great Deku Tree began to speak, "Safe travels hero, if you have questions refer them to your new counterpart, Fi. She will assist you on your quest. May the goddesses smile upon you." I smiled and nodded toward the Great Tree, making my way toward the entrance of the forest. The Koroks carried on with their romping, occasionally stopping to wave as I left. _It's a shame I have to leave already, such a peaceful place in a dangerous world. _My thoughts wandered as the fog began to grow dense again. I lit my torch again to begin the trek back out of the woods. This time, I walked the opposite direction of the embers. The childish laughter picked up at one point when I went off course, but I quickly corrected myself before the fog enveloped me.

I hadn't spoken to Fi since we left the Deku Tree, I couldn't think of a good question to ask just yet. At the entrance to the Lost Woods, where the fog began to lift again, I finally decided to ask her something. "Hey Fi, you there?" She quickly responded, "_Always, master. How can I be of assistance?" _I took a minute to formulate my question then asked, "Why did the goddess choose me? I know I can swing a sword pretty well but there has to be someone out there more worthy, right?" The sword hummed for a moment, as if Fi was formulating an answer, _"Well, master, her grace chooses her hero based on more than just skill. You are indeed one of the best swordsman Hyrule has ever seen, but your courage and strength of heart is unmatched. Additionally, you are a distant descendant of the Hero of Twilight."_ The last sentence caught me off guard. My father always told me when I was younger we had a family history of swordsmanship, but I never thought it was to that degree. "I'm a descendant of a past hero? I didn't know he even had children." I was thrown for a loop to say the least, I promised myself I'd look more into this in the royal library.

_"Is there anything else I can answer for you, master?" _Fi took me out of my thoughts right when we left the Minshi Woods, "Not right now, Fi. I've got a lot of thinking to do for now." She didn't respond and we walked in silence for a while, until a traveling merchant rode by. He smiled and waved as we passed, then I heard him shout, "Wait a minute, where did you get that sword boy?" I turned to see his horse at a full sprint, stopping within a few feet of me. He was a middle-aged man, long brown hair in a ponytail like mine. His features were soft to match his rather rotund figure. He hopped off and approached me, looking over the sword inquisitively, "Is this what I think it is?" I smiled and nodded, to which he grinned widely, "Well I'll be! The hero has been chosen. You're quite a youngster though, what makes you the _chosen one_?" The end of the sentence coming out a little more condescending with a more stoic look on his face now. "Well I am a Royal Guard trainee, we're to be officially admitted next week after the tournament." I tried not to sound annoyed at his accusations that had struck a chord. "Well Royal Guard or not you're pretty small buster. How about this, what do you say to a little sparring match? I'd like to see the hero in action!" His grin was back, clearly he was full of himself. I shook my head, "Sorry, I was told specifically to wield this sword only against evil. You don't seem to fit the description so you'll have to wait until the tournament..." He stopped me mid sentence, "Well you got another sword there on your back don't ya? Come on tough guy, let's see what you got!" He drew a rather large claymore off of his horse and held it before him. "Well, doesn't look like you're gonna give me a choice huh?" I laughed and drew my own short sword standing before him.

We squared off and the fight went, about as well as I imagined it would. He came charging at me and yelling, sword over head and it came down hard. He made a small crater, throwing dirt back with his swing. There was a lot of power, but way to easy to predict. I wanted to end it quick, so I went for a hard swing closer to the guard of his sword to knock it loose from his hand. I had already forgotten what the Deku Tree said about my new power because as soon as my sword struck his, they both shattered at the points of contact. His was now in two pieces, with the same happening to my own. Dumbfounded we both stared at the development, "Well damn kid, you hit harder than I thought you would!" Unable to process this fully Fi spoke in my head, _"This is what the Great Deku Tree spoke of, master. The Master Sword will greatly amplify your strength. You must exercise caution in dealings with regular Hylians." _I finally started to laugh, impressed at this new strength I held. Then I finally realized what I'd done, "Oh goddesses, I'm so sorry sir! Please forgive me I totally ruined your sword!" He just laughed and replied, "It ain't a problem, son. Lucky for you, I keep a spare." He put the broken blade in a saddle bag and halfway pulled another identical greatsword out of said pack. I sighed in relief and nodded his way, "Well, I hope I proved my worthiness to you, um?" He filled in the blank for me, "Ronnie, name's Ronnie. And you sure did show me something! Who might our great hero be?" I cheerfully replied, "It's Link, and it was a pleasure to meet you, Ronnie. I'd love to chat more but I gotta get back to the castle." We waved at each other and I got back on the track.

The rest of the trip was rather uneventful, save the occasional traveler gawking at the sword on my back. All of these looks made me rather uncomfortable, but this was the new life I'd have to get used to. Being the center of attention wasn't really appealing to me, but it wasn't really up to me at this point. All of these looks really got bad once I got into the city. Castle Town was awake at this point, it was a little past noon once I arrived. Passing whispers and strange looks were everywhere, "Who is that...is that the great sword...he's so young...does this mean something bad will happen?" That last remark worried me a bit, but I shook it off. I needed to focus, I had a job to do.

At the barracks, most of my brothers were sleeping. Probably a by-product of the previous night's antics. I shook my head and smiled thinking of all the trouble they got themselves in and dropped my bag inside my room. _Johnny ain't here, hmm maybe he got lucky with that brunette._ I doubted it but it was wishful thinking. Down at the end of the hall of rooms was a solitary door labeled: _Captain Typhon._ I tightened the buckle on my new sword, and made the walk. After a quick knock I spoke, "Captain, this is trainee Link. I request permission to enter." He quickly responded with, "Come in, Link." When I entered he was looking over a huge stack of documents, "What do you need, son?" I unsheathed the sword and held it before me, "Well Captain, you aren't gonna believe this."


	4. The New Champion

Chapter 4: The New Champion

Immediately the Captain perked up, "Holy shit, Link! How'd you happen upon that?" I couldn't help but grin at his childish excitement toward my the Master Sword, "Well Captain, long story short I was having a bunch of weird dreams. Finally one was clear and told me to go to the Lost Woods, the sword spoke to me in this dream. When I made my way through, I pulled the sword and was instructed to inform you." He took a more serious look after my last statement, "Instructed by who?" I sheathed the blade and responded, "Would you believe me if I told you the Goddess Hylia herself?" I grinned in response to his hearty laugh, one I hadn't heard in a long time, "I believe just about anything at this point, son. Why don't you come with me? There's some folks way more important than me who need to see this for themselves."

He led me out of the barracks into the training yard. As we walked my brothers, who had finally woke up, were training in the yard outside. Again there were dozens of look from them and the other guard trainees. _I'm sure I'll get used to this eventually._ We walked through a large gate that took us closer to the castle. The large courtyard out front was being cleared and set up for the tournament. Numerous stalls and even a small blacksmithing station were being set up for the participants and spectators. All of the staff stopped and stared after one of them noticed me and spoke up. Even a few of the royal guards posted nearby broke their normally statue-like poise to look. _This is getting really uncomfortable._ I grimaced to myself, trying to keep a low-profile behind the captain.

The walk was only a few minutes, but felt like hours of embarrassment from all of the on-lookers. We reached the main entrance to the palace and were greeted by a rather pompous looking gentleman. He had a wiry frame with his red hair combed over. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose when he spoke, "Good afternoon gentlemen, I am William. From the looks of that young man you'll be needing to meet with his Majesty, I assume?" He had a rather grandiose tone about him, I just shook it off when the captain spoke, "Yes sir we will, my trainee Link has some big news for the king." That's when I started to get more nervous, _I'm about to meet the king of Hyrule! This is nerve wracking. _The attendant led us through the corridors of the massive palace and I was awestruck, _This place is huge! How does he find his way around here?_ My sword hummed on my back, _"Focus, master. You'll be meeting the king of Hyrule, make sure you tell him everything"_ With that I straightened up, dusting off my tunic and pants.

We rounded the last corner and came to a stop outside a massive set of wooden doors, "The king will meet you inside his study shortly, please take a seat inside and await his arrival." William pushed open the large doors then turned and left down the maze of corridors. Inside was a large wooden desk with stacks of scrolls and books. Two chairs sat in front of the desk with a larger, more decorative one behind. Further behind the desk stood a large bookshelf with ceiling high windows on either side. The drapes on each were decorated with the royal family crest, a Triforce surrounded by the wings of some kind of bird. A fireplace resided on the right side of the room with a few chairs and a small table dressed with glasses and a bottle of brandy. On the left was a window centered on the wall with bookshelves on either side. It was more like a small library than a study for one man.

After I took the room in, I sat before the desk and the captain spoke, "As much as I'd like to stay, Link, I must be going. The king will only want to meet with you and I have a great deal of paperwork before you and your brothers' graduation next week. Be polite, remember what you learned during your training." I simply nodded and saluted my reply. He made his leave and moments after a young, white-haired woman cracked open the door,"The king will be arriving shortly, stand up and bow when he arrives," she spoke with no emotion and left as quickly as she'd arrived. As she said, the door opened again. This time it was the king. He was a man of average height, slightly shorter than the captain, but much more round. He had a very regal presence with his red robes covered in golden inlays as well as a large white beard and long white hair. His crown was set carefully upon his head and I immediately fell to my knee, "Your majesty," I spoke as proper as I could. "Rise," he responded in a booming voice. I obliged while he went behind his desk and took a seat, "Please take a seat, young Link." Again I did as he asked and found a seat in front of his desk. When he spoke again, it was in a more reserved tone than before, "Let me see what you got there, son." I unbuckled the Master Sword's sheathe and set the sword in its cover on his desk. He reached to lift it, but was unable. It wouldn't budge an inch. "That's quite the heavy blade, young man. How do you carry it around with such ease?" I was confused at his question and reached over with one hand, lifting the sword with ease, "It feels light as a feather to me, your majesty." Deep in though he inspected the blade handle and sheathe further, "Well it's no doubt this is in fact the Master Sword, would you mind telling me how you came upon it?"

We spent the next hour or so discussing my journey, my dreams, Fi, and the Great Deku Tree. He was very intrigued about the voice in the sword but I told him only I could hear her. After I answered every question I could he concluded our discussion, "Well it's no doubt I'll be seeing you in the tournament next week, correct?" I nodded, "Yes, your majesty. Although I'll need a new blade as I can't wield this for the tournament and my other one was broken the last time I used it." He laughed heartily, "Ah yes, that run in with the merchant. Well, I'll see to it you're fitted with a new blade. One much stronger to suit your strength." I smiled as he stood, I followed suit, "Go on, young man. Take your blade and prepare for the tournament next week. And one more thing, you'll be joining the ranks as a champion after you graduate from royal guard training. As the wielder of the great Master Sword, you are pivotal in the fight against the Calamity," he grew more solemn at this thought. We stood in silence for a moment and he said, "Additionally with that comes a new responsibility..." then the doors burst open, "Father! I was wondering if I could travel to Zora's Domain, I figured I could see Mipha and ask her about, wait, who is this?" _This must be the princess, holy crap. She's, wow. _I couldn't stop as I looked her up and down, she had on tall leather boots and dark brown, almost black leather pants. She had a long sleeve blue shirt that had a white midriff and golden lace around it and brown fingerless gloves. Her pointy ears were barely hidden by her long blonde locks that rode her curves down to her waist. She grinned at me after she spoke and I dropped to my knees, "Princess, it's an honor." She giggled and responded, "Who are you?" The king answered for me, "Well, my daughter, he's our new champion. And I agree you should go see Princess Mipha. But since we're all here, Link, you'll be escorting my daughter to Zora's Domain over the next two days. This is your chance to prove yourself as our new hero and champion."


	5. The Journey Begins

Chapter 5: The Journey Begins

She raced out the door down the hallway I heard her yell, "But why father? I've never had trouble before! I've always gone alone to see Mipha!" I followed behind, trying to keep up with the king's brisk pace, "Your majesty, if I may?" He stopped and nodded, allowing me to speak, "When was the last time the princess left to visit Zora's Domain?" He rubbed his chin and she responded, "I went about a year ago for my 15th birthday." I took out my log book from my own travels and showed her my notes, "Well, princess, since around that time the Lizalfos population has almost quadrupled along with the frequency of their raids. It may have been safer then, but it isn't now." She pouted a bit and the king spoke with finality, "Well I guess that answers that, daughter. Link will accompany you this one time for your safety. It'll be a good chance to get to know each other since he is the wielder of the Master Sword, and it'll serve as a chance for him to prove himself." With that she was left with no argument, "Yes, father," she was a little downcast, I was upset that I disappointed her but hopeful to prove myself. They both made their leave and the king said, "Go pack your bags, young Link. You'll be traveling for several days, most likely up until the tryouts for the tournament. Make sure you're prepared for travel and have your horse by the royal stables in two hours." I knelt before the king, "Yes, your majesty."

It didn't take me long to pack up, since my travel bag was already packed. I threw in my quick set-up spit for cooking and grabbed a bit more food for my horse, myself, and the princess. With everything packed, I left my room and ran into Johnny in the hallway, "Hey Link, where are you headed now? Oh nice sword by the way!" He must've heard about it already, but he knew I was weird about attention and left it alone, "Well, the king asked me to accompany the princess as her protector to Zora's Domain. I should be back for tryouts in a few days, though." He got a wide grin after that, "Oooh the princess, huh? Be careful, men have been thrown in the dungeon for just looking at her funny." He started laughing while I felt my cheeks flush. "Whatever dude, it's not like that I'm just helping her get there safely." He patted my shoulder and walked toward our room, "Yeah alright man, be safe then. I'll see you in a few days." We hugged it out and I made my way to the guards' stable, where my trusty mare Epona waited for me.

The brown haired mare with a white mane and tail whinnied in pleasure when she saw me. I pulled an apple from my pack and she reared back on her back legs a little in excitement with some more playful noises and huffs. I pet her mane while feeding her, then started saddling her up when she finished. Getting the straps settled I patted her neck again then hopped up. She started hopping excitedly and we made our way out of the stable toward the castle gates. _Oh goddesses, I'm getting those looks again._ It really bugged me, all of the strange stares and passing comments. Now it would be worse, traveling with the princess. _I'll just try to stay silent and bear this burden as best I can. No reason to annoy the princess with my emotions. She already has so much on her plate._

The castle gates swung open and I was again greeted with the setup of the tournament. I looped around behind them and saw the royal stables come into view, the princess was loading up her own horse with the help of the white-haired woman from before. I could see her better now, she wasn't very tall but she had a strong looking frame. Her short sleeved blue shirt showed she was clearly athletic as well as muscular legs beneath her tight blue pants. She had a white mask that look like wraps pulled down off of her face and her white hair in a bun behind her head. Her sharp features were stoic and unmoving as she spoke, "...and remember, princess if there's any trouble you run. You leave him and run to your horse right back here. Oh, good afternoon, young hero." She pulled her red-eyed gaze off the princess and looked at me. Her stare was menacing and calculating, but there was love behind her eyes that she held for the young princess. "Of course Impa, I know I'll be safe. I've made this trip a dozen times before, and three times on my own!" The princess started getting a little irritated with her attendant. With that the princess mounted her own horse, a beautiful white horse with an off-white mane. A young-looking colt adorned in a royal saddle and bridle. The gold and bluish-purple of the accessories contrasted well on the stark white horse. The horse was rather tall, and I noticed Zelda struggling to hop up. I quickly rushed to her side, "If I may, princess?" she nodded so I grabbed her hips to hoist her up. I felt warmth rise in my cheeks. _That was kinda awkward, but I couldn't let her struggle for too long, we have a tight schedule._ I ran back to Epona to hide my embarrassment, clearly she felt it too as she cleared her throat and quickly spoke, "Let's be on then, Link."

Passing through Castle Town was just as I expected, everyone was staring at us and whispering. This was even more so than when it was just me passing through. The princess seemed accustomed to the attention and just sat straight in her saddle and carried on. _"It's not befitting of the hero to look so nervous. You should sit up straight, master. These people look up to you both." _I silently chastised myself, Fi was right. This was no time to let my silly emotions get the best of me. _Thanks Fi, I have to be a symbol. I have to show these people courage._ I closed the small gap I put between myself and the princess and told her my travel plan, "Princess, I've put together the route I often take when visiting the Domain. With a few hours of daylight we should be able to make it to at least Trillby Plain if we exit through the eastern gate of Castle Town. Across the bridge just a bit north are some woods where we can camp and a small pond if we need water for the horses." She nodded her response and guided her horse toward the eastern gate. I slowed Epona down a bit to take my spot three steps behind her. It would give her space but I was also close enough to react if the need arose. It was a common technique taught by the Royal Guard for escorting royalty and VIPs.

After a few short minutes we crossed through the gate and the open air of Hyrule filled my lungs again. It was always so refreshing to feel the light wind on my face, watch the birds fly overhead, the rustling of the grass. It was tranquil, and it was this tranquility that had my mind racing. Finally coming to terms with the events of the previous day, panic arose. _If I drew the sword, that means something is coming. Monster sightings are more frequent than ever. Am I strong enough? Am I ready? Will I be able to protect... _My thoughts were interrupted by the calming voice ahead, "Link, why are you staying so far back? It kind of makes the ride boring when there's no conversation." I saw the green eyes of the princess staring back at me, hopeful. I closed the distance and she spoke again, "I think I ought to learn more about you, as a champion myself we'll be working together quite often." She offered a sweet smile to which I replied, "Anything you'd like to know in particular, princess?" With her hand on her chin she thought, then started spewing questions, "Where are you from? Who are your parents? Do they live in Castle Town? How did you know where to find the Master Sword? Is it true you speak with the sword? Will you," she stopped when she saw my flustered look. She got red with embarrassment, "Oh I'm sorry, Link. I didn't mean to overwhelm you. It's just, I've been thinking about a lot since I learned about your new status as the hero. Why don't we start over, you ask something!" She smiled, now it was my turn to blush, "Uhhh, ummm, well, princess where are you from?" _Stupid! She's from the castle stupid! Why is it so hard, just talk normal._ She was laughing at me now, "Well, believe it or not, I was born and raised in the castle." Now I know she could see how embarrassed I was. _This is horrible! Why am I like this?_ I slapped my palm on my forehead to hide my shame. "Well, I guess that means it's my turn. Where are you from?" She asked me, _hopefully this will help her forget my stupidity. _I gave my response, "I'm originally from Hateno village, princess." She waited, seemingly to hear more, but it wasn't my job to be her friend. As much as I'd like to. I have to ensure her safety no matter what.

We rode in relative silence for a while, "Princess, the sun is getting low. We'll be making camp right up here in the woods to our left." I motioned toward the small patch of trees surrounding a small pond. She nodded and proceeded that way. I could tell she was a little upset, but I couldn't let emotions get involved. It was important I took this job seriously, for the sake of our kingdom. I helped remove the packs from her horse, then did my own. I led Epona and Storm to the pond deeper in the trees to drink. When I returned, the princess had already unpacked her sleeping bag and a makeshift tent. Well what was supposed to be a tent, which currently consisted of sticks and leather. "Would you like me to set that up for you, princess," I couldn't help but grin at her struggling. She pooched out her lip and pouted, "Fine, you do it!" With that she threw the sticks and leather tarp on the ground, stomping off toward the horses. I laughed to myself and threw the small tent together for her. _She's cute when she's angry, wait Link! Cut the shit! Ugh this is gonna be a tough trip. Thank the goddesses it's a one time thing._


	6. Embers

Chapter 6: Embers

_Well I hope I didn't piss her off too bad, I was just trying to lighten the mood._ I was lost in thought stoking the flames of the fire I'd just brought to life. _I should go make sure she's okay, it's been almost 30 minutes._ I left my poking stick near the fire and followed the tracks in the damp grass her stomping made. Just by the small pond with the horses she stood, stroking her horse's neck while Epona drank from the water. She was humming a beautiful tune, it seemed magical, and it was making me drowsy. "Is everything okay, princess?" She didn't move, keeping her back to me when she spoke, "Yes Link, I apologize for my outburst. There's just a lot of pent up stress going around and I let it get the best of me." I smiled as I approached and put a hand on Epona, "No need to apologize to me princess, that tent gave me some trouble too." I looked left and saw a smile grow on her face as she leaned on her horse. She turned to look at me again, her eyes bloodshot. With a sniffle she spoke, "I'm sorry I probably look like hell, I'm going to take a bath and clear my head. Would you take the horses?" I obliged, taking the hint. I gathered their reins and took the two by our makeshift campsite, which now consisted of her small tent and sleeping bag, my own Snowquill bag, and the little fire. I didn't know how long she'd be, so I figured I'd cook later when she returned so the food was fresh.

A few minutes passed and my sword hummed to life on my back, "What's up, Fi?" She spoke back to me in my mind, _"You should take this time to train a little with the Master Sword. It may feel natural, but getting used to your new strength is an important responsibility of yours." _Nodding in agreement, I stood and unsheathed the blade for the first time with the intent to swing it. _Fi was right, this just feels so natural. _The Master Sword moved through the air with ease while I practiced some basic forms. It felt like a feather but when I swung too far and hit a tree, it sliced through it like butter. The tree teetered back and forth, threatening to hit the horses. They were tied in place and, panicking, I jumped between them and the tree. _What am I thinking this tree is gonna, wait, what? _My arms outstretched now held this 15 foot tree in place, and I tossed it aside with relative ease. _"See what I told you master, your power grows by the hour. You and the Master Sword are one, its power is yours." _I was completely shocked at the feat, and I could've sworn the horses faces showed the same expression. _Yeah that's probably enough deforestation for today._ _But man, that thing feels good to swing. It's so perfectly balanced, but so incredibly powerful. I feel unstoppable. _

It had been about 15 minutes after my tree removal skills were put to the test when the princess returned. She rung out her hair and sat across the fire from me. "I apologize for my absence, I just needed to relax a bit." She spoke in a more relaxed tone, which I was pleased to hear, "Again, no need to apologize, princess." She smiled at my remark and went back to warming herself by the fire, "Princess, I think I'll follow suit, if that's okay with you. I haven't had a good bath since yesterday before I left for the Lost Woods. If you see anything strange just yell and I'll be here in no time." She simply smiled again and nodded, "Go ahead, Link. We all need a break from time to time." Excitedly, I rushed to the small pond. Throwing off my clothes all around, I hopped right in. The water was a bit cold, but refreshing nonetheless. _This is what I needed, my legs are sore from riding all afternoon._

I leaned on the bank, letting the water and muddy grass soak in a bit. After about 20 minutes, I heard rustling in the bushes behind me. I turned quickly, closely examining my surroundings. _Must've been some bunnies rustling about. _But I couldn't shake the feeling, there were eyes on me. I turned again, where I initially heard the sound and caught a glint of blue. _Dammit, that might be a blue bokoblin! I gotta get back to the princess now._ I rushed and threw my clothes on in no time flat, grabbing my sword on the run. Back at the fire, the princess sat poking at it with a stick. She was less relaxed and, was it the fire or was her face red? "Princess, did you hear anything come through here? I saw something in the bushes, but it was dark. It may have been bokoblins or something sneaking around." She cleared her throat and stammered, "Oh no, no surely there aren't any here. You must be hearing things! You really should get your ears checked, Link!" She didn't once make eye contact and this strange sound, maybe a laugh, escaped her lips. "I'm gonna go look around princess, you stay here." She just nodded and kept at the fire.

_That was really awkward, why is she acting so_ _weird. _I was thinking to myself, wandering around the woods near the pond. I found the spot where the creature ran from. I found no traces other than foot prints, rather small for a bokoblin. Using the skills they taught in guard training, I kept my eyes to the ground and followed the tracks. _"Master, if I may. I think you're looking at this the wrong way," _the Master Sword hummed on my back. "What do you mean Fi, something was hiding near me in the woods. What if they were scouting us out to attack?" The sword began to vibrate, was it, laughing? _"How naive a young man can be, very well follow the tracks then and find this 'monster'." _I was starting to wonder when sword spirits started having attitudes, until I finished following the tracks. _Wow I really am that dumb, huh?_ Sure enough, the tracks led straight to the campfire. _Well come on maybe it was from when she walked to the pond earlier. _But the tracks were spread out, as if she was running._ Was she really what I saw in the bushes? Should I say something? That would be super awkward, right? _I approached the fire and cleared my throat, "Princess, I found some tracks near the bush where I saw movement," she immediately widened her eyes and the glow of the fire was not the cause of the red that spread on her face, "but it didn't lead anywhere. They must have run off or something." I only half-lied, technically. _But what reason would the princess have to be there when I was bathing, if she needed me she could've just said something. Maybe she got nervous, I'm sure she just got worried about seeing me or something. That must be it. _I set the Master Sword aside, "Would you like some dinner, princess?" She quickly spoke, "Yes please, thank you."

I worked in silence, setting up a spit over the fire to cook some meat. I rotated it occasionally, while dribbling Goron spice over the beef. "That smells wonderful, Link. Where'd you learn to cook like that?" The princess inquired, _well I guess she's done acting awkward. That's refreshing. _I spun the meat again and replied, "In Royal Guard training, princess." She nodded, letting out a short hum in response. A few minutes passed until she spoke again, "You mentioned earlier to my father that you've been to Zora's Domain a lot. Why is that?" As she spoke I cut a piece of meat onto a large leaf for her to eat, "Sorry princess, no plates. I've been a few times to visit a friend, a few time for patrols during training." She looked at me inquisitively, "You have a friend in Zora's Domain? Do you mind if I ask who?" I then cut myself a large hunk of meat and replied, "Her name is Mipha. I've known her for a majority of my life." She looked stunned, "Princess Mipha is your _friend?_ Wow, I had no idea. How did you become friends? Hateno village is quite the trip from Zora's Domain." I broke down the spit while I spoke, "My father used to be a knight, living in Castle Town. After he retired, he began blacksmithing. He was well renowned and the Zoran people sent him a lot of orders for weapons, we would deliver them together." I tried not to look downcast, unfortunately it went noticed, "Was?" The princess said, referring to my father, "Yes, princess, he was." I straightened up, holding the solitary tear that threatened to fall. _I can't show weakness, I'm supposed to be the hero. The courageous one. _

She didn't ask anything after that, leaving me be as I cleaned up the leftover food and packing away the spit. In a few short minutes I turned to tell her it was best we got to bed. _Already asleep, huh? Well that ain't your sleeping bag. Forgive me in advance, princess._ She had fallen asleep leaning back on my travel pack, so I ran my arm behind her back and the bend at her knees. She shifted when I lifted, leaning against my chest. _Well there's worse ways for the night to end. _I slightly smiled and set her down on her sleeping bag. It wasn't cold tonight so there was no need to try and finagle her into it.I felt a little warm myself so I took my tunic, chain mail, and undershirt off. Sliding my boots off, I quickly slid into my sleeping bag. The Master Sword was within arm's reach on my left, her tent the same on my right. _What a fucking day, man._


	7. First Encounter

_"Master, it's time to get up. Master, wake up." _I sat up fast, getting dizzy from the rush. The Master Sword hummed again, _"Master, you must continue your trip soon." _I just laughed at Fi, "What, are you my alarm now? I was hoping to get a little beauty sleep this morning." I looked toward the east, s_un's almost up I might as well train a little before we leave. _I took a big breath of the wild air, _smells like rain is coming, that'll make for a fun trip._ I snickered to myself and grabbed the Master Sword. Standing, I began some more advanced drills than I practiced the night before. Imagining a shade of myself before me, I countered and parried. I had to learn to harness this new speed and strength, otherwise I could hurt someone in the tournament.

I spent the first 30 minutes of the morning training, I felt a light layer of sweat start to form. _That ought to be enough, don't want to be smelly for the whole trip to Zora's Domain._ It was at that point I heard stirring behind me, the princess was leaning up on her elbow, "You about ready to leave, hero?" The way the words rolled of her tongue made me feel strange, _why'd she say it like that_? _Oh shit, I need to put on a shirt she's awake! _I quickly ran to my stack of shirts and threw them on, clearing my throat, "Princess, we ought to get on the road. Smells like rain's coming." She started sniffing after I said that, "I don't smell anything, how do you know rain is coming?" I thought back to those weeks me and Johnny spent in the wild training, "I spend a lot of time outside, princess." She shrugged and stood, "Wait, when did I get in my bed? Did you put me here?" I could feel my cheeks flush as she spoke, "Umm, yes princess. You had fallen asleep by the fire, please forgive me," I fell to a knee, "I shouldn't have touched you without permission please accept my apology, princess." She snickered at my display, "Don't fret, Link. Thank you." She walked up and placed a kiss on my cheek. Now I knew my face was completely red. "Oh, of course, princess. I'll begin packing."

With our horses prepped and packed up, it was time to set off. I strapped the Master Sword on my back, and we mounted. I helped her up again, "Thank you, Link. Let's go see Mipha!" She was rather cheery this morning. _Well she did get more sleep than me,_ the the Master Sword hummed, _"Well master, it is important for you to train properly to prepare yourself." _I simply sighed at the snarky sword on my back as we trotted off toward Zora's Domain. I needed a clear mind, the curvy, hilly road near the domain was notorious for Lizalfos sightings lately. I'd have to be constantly watching once we neared the bridge to cross Zora River.

It was only a short three hours when the first bridge came in sight, the sound of thunder came from behind us. Looking back, dark clouds neared, "We best hurry, Link. You were right about the storm. That's a trusty nose you got there," she remarked playfully. I smiled in reply and picked up the pace to keep up with her horse reaching a canter. With this pickup in speed, I'd have to be extra diligent. It would be more difficult to spot a threat before we happen upon them. But my eyes seemed more focused. Even at this pace I felt I could see and process anything as if we were walking. _The Master Sword really enhances all of my fighting abilities, huh? _It was that momentary lapse in focus that was the cause of an arrow almost striking the princess' head. On a road surrounded by a thin concentration of trees and a hill to our left, the arrow flew from above. "Get yourself behind a tree now, princess!" She screamed and obliged, riding behind a tree opposite the hill. Up the hill I saw a black Lizalfos with a large, spiky, metal bow. Behind it, three more blue ones slid down hill toward me. Rain started to trickle down my face, _time to finally test out this new blade of mine, _I grinned. It had been a while since I had a proper monster fight, and I was ready.

I took a final look back, the princess was safe behind the tree. The monsters were focused on me now, thankfully. The archer kept firing at the tree with its arrows striking the wood each time, "Princess, don't come out from there. It can't hit behind the tree!" The first three had crooked, serrated blades that my brothers at Royal Guard training had taken to calling lizal boomerangs. They could be thrown like a boomerang and come right back, but functioned just as well as a dagger. These three blue ones weren't as smart as their darker counterpart and rushed directly at me, weaving back and forth on all fours in a wedge-like formation. The middle one was in front, and took a slow, wide swing at my chest. _Too slow buddy,_ I thought as I easily flipped back to dodge. As I did, time around me seemed to, slow down? _What is this, Fi?_ She quickly spoke in response, _"Don't waste this opportunity, master! I'll explain everything later, strike down your enemy!" _I shrugged and obliged. I rushed forward, the monsters around me moving at a snail's pace. I hacked and slashed, shaving scales, dismembering, then decapitating the first enemy. As it fell, time caught back up. The other's stopped dead in their tracks a few feet ahead of me, seeing their comrade in pieces. Shaking their heads and putting their eyes on me, they continued their assault. The second to attack, on the left, met a similar fate. It made the mistake of hilariously telegraphing their attack, which I took advantage of. The last one, with a look of fear screamed toward the black Lizalfos. The archer looked down and readied an arrow meant for me. Not expecting this, I reacted on my first instinct and sliced the air toward the one on the hill. As I did a rotating disc of blue energy left the Master Sword, traveling right at the archer. It was struck, cutting a deep gash in its right arm and it screamed in pain. The blue Lizalfos ahead of me was backing away as I approached, then jumped back readying its tongue for a strike. I saw this coming, leaning left it passed my face by inches. As time slowed again, I grabbed the tongue, pulling hard. The monster flew toward me, directly onto the blade of my sword. I unsheathed my sword from its chest, and ran up the hill toward the recovering monster. Once on top, it pulled out a large spear. It went for a wide, sweeping attack. The moment it was inches away, I batted it away with the master sword. A loud metal cling run out through the valley, as it fell back on its ass. The lizard was dazed by the parry, and I intended on capitalizing on the situation. Jumping in the air, I pointed the Master Sword straight down. It drove through the Lizalfos completely, and deep into the dirt. Black blood ran down my face with the rain washing it down, _this sword is incredible._

Walking back down to the princess, I pulled a rag out one of Epona's pouches. I wiped the Master Sword clean, "Princess, it's all clear. You can come out." She looked out from behind the tree and her eyes darted all around her surroundings. Finally, she ran out and embraced me with tear-filled eyes, "Oh thank you Link, you kept us safe! I'm sorry I got scared I should've helped. I've never seen a Lizalfos before and just got so scared! Thank you!" She held on tight and I wrapped one arm around her, "It's not a problem, princess. I did my job, I know you'd do the same for me if the need arose." She looked up at me, smiling with bloodshot eyes, "Come on, princess. We need to get to Zora's Domain. I don't wanna keep you out in the open too long." She nodded and I whistled for her horse and mine to come by our side. I helped her then mounted up, and we got back on the road to Zora's Domain.

The path was relatively clear the rest of the way, I saw a few Lizalfos archers from time to time. However, these kept their distance. They must have seen what I did and knew better than to try anything. _I can't let my pride get the best of me, it was one easy fight but they won't all be like that. _Soon enough, the city came into view taking me from my thoughts. The large, iridescent blue bridge spanned the river into a sprawling city filled with the Zoran people. I could see dozens swimming in the water below and several more wandering the different open chambers and rooms of the city.

We were greeted at the bridge by two Zoran guards, two blue skinned male Zoras. They were twins, if I remembered right, Muzu and Tuzu. They greeted the princess, "Welcome back, Princess Zelda. It is always a pleasure to house our blessed princess." She let out a slight, albeit regal, grin. It seemed to me she almost had a switch for "princess mode" when she needed to put on the royal charm, "And it is my great pleasure to be back in such a beautiful place as Zora's Domain." They then looked to me, switching to a more friendly tone when Muzu spoke, "Ah Link, it's been a while since we've seen you! Did you run into any trouble on the way up?" I recounted the story of our encounter with the Lizalfos, they looked at each other with an impressed look, "We'd only heard stories of the great power of the Master Sword, I assume that's why you now travel with the princess?" I nodded in response, then Tuzu continued, "Well Link if you're looking for Mipha she'll most likely be in her chambers on the upper level by, well, you know where it is. If not, you can surely find her atop the veiled falls where she taught you to swim. She's recently been taking her brother, Sidon, there to train his swimming techniques." The princess looked at me suspiciously after they relayed the information for what reason, I knew not. We bowed atop our horses in gratitude and made our way down the bridge.

We neared the end of the bridge and now I could take in the full majesty of Zora's Domain. The large, luminous blue pillars with tiered balconies, a huge central area with different open air chambers, the giant stair case up to the throne room, and the catwalks and bridges connecting each tower. The entire city seemed to glow with the setting sun, light refracting through the opaque, glass-like stone that made up the city. It truly was a spectacle. Taking in the scenery, smiling, I almost didn't hear the princess speaking, "So, you know Mipha pretty well, huh? The guards just assumed you'd know where to go. Did you guys, you know, hang out a lot?" Her tone was a little accusatory and I couldn't tell why, "Yes, princess. We were good friends for many years, but we haven't seen each other in a while." She looked like she was a little uncomfortable in her saddle. She replied quickly, with a snarky tone on the end, "Well that should make talking to her very easy, let's go find our _good_ _friend_."


	8. Good Friend

_What was with that tone? Was it something I said? She sounded upset about seeing Mipha, but she was the one who wanted to see her in the first place. Girls are weird._ I followed behind the princess, thinking to myself. We went up the huge staircases, leading us to the throne room. It was a massive, open air chamber. There were pools of water spread throughout with a huge seat for the king himself, King Dorephan. He was Mipha's father, and had given my father and I a place to stay on each of our visits. A kind and gentle, while massive, Zora. He must have been at least twenty feet tall with huge fins on his back and a long tail down the back of his head, like hair.

He was speaking to an advisor of his, and noticed us shortly after we entered the chamber. Standing he spoke, "Princess Zelda, it is a pleasure to see you! And is that you, Link? It has been too long, young man! I'll have someone fetch Mipha she'll be elated to see you, Link!" On that last sentence I could see the princess tense up, "Greetings, King Dorephan it is quite a pleasure," I bowed and the princess curtsied and continued, "I am also here to speak with Mipha about joining as a champion for Hyrule's fight against the Calamity." The king straightened up, a more somber tone, "Very well, princess. She should be here shortly." The advisor had run off as soon as the king finished his statement, and he spoke again, "Well, Link, that's quite the blade you have there. May I see it?" I nodded, stepping toward the Zoran king, "It's a little heavy, your majesty. Be careful." I knew here was no way he'd be able to hold it but I loved joking with the king. We had become friendly from the time my father and I spent at Zora's Domain. I unsheathed the Master Sword, and kneeled before the king. I place my hands flat beneath the blade, and he reached for the hilt. Grabbing and lifting, nothing. He stood, placed two hands on the handle, then lifted with all of his might. Grunting and struggling, the blade didn't move from my hands. He laughed and smiled, "I'd say heavy is an understatement, young Link." He sat back on his throne while I put the sword away.

We shared pleasantries, catching up on the last two years. I told him of my patrols along the Zora river over the past months as well as our encounter prior to arriving at Zora's Domain. Finally the attendant returned carrying a package, "Your majesty, the princess is not in her room or in the city for that matter. I'd have to assume she's atop the Veiled Falls. She left this with a note, for Mister Link," I took the paper-wrapped package and the letter, then tore open the envelope,

_"My dearest Link, though I know our relationship won't be as I desire I still have a gift for you. Traditionally, the Zoran princess would gift her betrothed with specially made armor. I made this for you, may it aid you in your journey. Though I know we may never have a marriage as I'd like, know I will always hold love for you in my heart. Love, Mipha."_

I couldn't help but feel a heavy weight in my heart. It hurt that I could never reciprocate the feelings she held for me, _and I will always hold love for you too, Mipha._ After my thoughts cleared, I took the package and opened it as well. The intricately designed armor had Zoran symbols etched throughout. Jingling jewelry of the same symbol hung from the trousers and chest piece. The head piece had similar designs, and a tail like piece that hung down the back. _I'm eternally grateful to you, Mipha. _I then heard the booming voice of the king, "Well, Link. That armor is wonderful, but I had no idea that," I cut him short, "It's not like that, your majesty. It's simply a gift," I tried not to sound downtrodden, but he nodded knowingly. He continued, "Well as you know, that armor allows non-Zoran people to swim like one. You may need it to reach her at the top of the falls." Taking that as a cue I asked, "Your majesty, is there somewhere I can change?" He nodded again, "You remember where Mipha's room is, correct? You may use that in her absence." I bowed and took my leave, hearing the princess behind me, "Your majesty, if I may, what is the purpose of that armor?" I couldn't hear his answer as I passed around behind the throne room into Mipha's chambers.

It was a quaint little room. There wasn't much, but it was exactly as I remembered. Her small waterbed sat in the same back-left corner with her desk and bookshelf in the back-right from the door. She had a large wardrobe with a hanging rack covered in jewelry. On her desk I saw the painting from so many years ago. It was of us as children, hugging in one of the small pools in the domain. Our fathers were standing on either side of the pool, well, the king was kneeling down. It brought back good memories. Of course I looked much smaller since Zoras age much slower, she was actually considered a teenager at the time by Hylian standards. _It really has been a long time, Mipha. _I looked away from the painting and grabbed my new armor, finding the various clasps and buckles which made the armor fit perfect. "Fi, will the sword be okay submerged? I don't want it to rust or anything." The sword hummed to life, _"Of course, master. The Master Sword is the ultimate blade, unwavering to any conditions no matter the severity." _That didn't surprise me, so I strapped the master sword back on and returned to the throne room.

The princess was still speaking to the king, a little more happy than I'd left her. When she saw me return she gasped, "Wow, Link. That armor is gorgeous!" Out in the sun, it glinted and reflected the light all around. It seemed to contain some of the same stone that made up the entire domain, refracting the light into beautiful blues. She kept staring at me, _why is she looking at me like that? The armor is pretty cool but jeez._ I cleared my throat, "May I take my leave, princess?" She shook her head, her cheeks looked red like they were the other night by the fire, "Yes, of course Link. Go get her." The king stood, "Link, you remember how to get there right? You'll have a short swim to the base of the falls. With your new armor, you won't need help getting to the top," he smiled and the princess inquired, "Wait, swim? And how are we getting to the top of the falls?" The king laughed, "Princess, there's no waterfall around that a Zora can't scale! Hop off and show her, Link!" I smiled and obliged, running and diving out of the chamber into the water far below. I heard the princess scream in distress, while I screamed in excitement, "WOOOHOOO!" With a big splash I yelled to the princess, "I'll bring her back here, princess!"

Taking off, I felt empowered. The magic of the armor coupled with the power of the Master Sword made me arguably as fast as Mipha herself. At the base of the falls, I got a little nervous. Mipha had always been the one to take us up the falls so I wasn't exactly sure how to go about this. _Well, sitting here staring at the water isn't gonna do me any good, let's get it! _I decided to follow my instincts and took the falls head-on. Like a true Zora, I swam and jumped through the water fall. At the top, a burst of speed sent me flying through the air. I saw Mipha sitting beside the pond at the top, holding young Sidon. Before I came back down into the water I yelled, "Hey Mipha!" I saw her whip around right before I hit water again. Water rushed past my face and I heard a splash in the water above, through the water I could see Mipha. She smiled and grabbed me underwater, shooting us both to the surface. She screamed in my face, "LINK!" I felt all the air leave my lungs, "Mipha...I...air," she disengaged a little and giggled, "Sorry, I haven't seen you in so long. I'm so excited to see you. Nice armor by the way." She smirked and leaned in, this time with a softer hug. I can't lie, I had missed her. It was refreshing to see my old best friend.

We spent time catching up and playing with little Sidon, I showed her the Master Sword and we discussed it. After a few moments we decided to return to the throne room, "You ready to head back, Mipha? The princess is waiting to see you about something really important." we both stood and turned, "Of course we shouldn't keep her, wait are you bleeding?" She touched my back, "Am I?" I didn't remember getting injured, _did one of the Lizalfos hit me earlier? _She unclasped part of the armor and lifted the back, "Oh goddesses, you have a huge cut on your back! Was this from those damn Lizalfos you told me about? It looks like something slashed open your back!" I reached and touched where she pointed and sure enough, I winced a little, "I don't know how I didn't notice, maybe an arrow glanced me or something." She reached up and I felt her warm palms on my lower back, the warmth spread all through me. "Much better, you know you really should be more careful, Link." I just shrugged in response, tightening the armor back up, "I just wish someone would've told me I was bleeding. But thank you Mipha." I smiled wide and she smiled to, "It is my pleasure." With that, we went to the edge of the waterfall and I asked, "You wanna race?" I looked at her raising my eyebrows, "Just because you have my fancy armor on doesn't mean you can outswim a Zora," she grinned back at the challenge. I took advantage of her ego and dove right off, hearing her above, "Hey no fair!"

_That dive was much farther than before, holy shit that was kinda freaky. _I pulled myself back to the surface and put everything into my strokes. I heard the splash behind me and kicked it up a notch. I heard her jump from the water, "You really think that kind of speed is gonna win against me?" Okay now I was pissed. _Alright Fi, let's show her what the Master Sword can do._ I reached deep to find more strength, the Master Sword putting out a bright blue glow from its sheathe. I felt invigorated and pulled myself through the water at incredible speeds. All I could hear behind me was, "Hey what the hell? Why is your sword glowing?" I pulled up to the nearest waterfall coming off the main structure and swam up it as I had before. I sped up it faster than any Zora had before, landing on the outside edge of the throne room behind a pillar. Mipha arrived a couple seconds after. "That's cheating! Is that Master Sword making you more powerful?" I grinned and shrugged at her in response, only making her more displeased at her loss. A few moments later, Sidon landed, "Sissy! I did it all by myself!" She couldn't help but replace the anger on her face with pride for her younger brother, "Oh you're so big! Look at you, I knew you'd be able to do it!" With all of our ruckus, the princess found us behind the pillar. She walked up and spoke to Mipha, "Princess Mipha, I'm very happy to see you again." They bowed to each other and Mipha replied, "And I, you princess Zelda." With the formalities out of the way they hugged and giggled, rambling about the last time they spoke and other girly things. Mipha complained about my wound, the princess tried to assure her no one had noticed. I just sighed and leaned on the column watching them go on.

The princesses shared a few more moments of jovial conversation until princess Zelda took a more somber tone, "Mipha, I'm actually here with an important proposition." Mipha nodded, "Of course, Zelda. What can I do to help." Princess Zelda turned and looked over the water, speaking over her shoulder, "What do you know about divine beasts?"


	9. The Divine Beasts

Chapter 9: The Divine Beasts

"The divine beasts? Not much, my people and the Hylians have been excavating one over the past year up by the eastern reservoir. Why don't we discuss this over some dinner, it's getting late Zelda." That's when I noticed just how hungry I was, I'd had nothing since breakfast. The princess and I both nodded and Mipha led us to her room, "I'll have someone bring us a meal, if you two don't mind we'll eat in my room," the princess simply replied, "Of course not Mipha, that would be wonderful." I was still wet from my swim and started to shiver a bit, Mipha noticed, "Link, if you'd like to change we'll give you a moment to get out of your wet armor. I'm sure you're freezing." I gave her a relieved smile and obliged. They exited the room, giving me a moment to change back into my normal armor. I looked on the back of my undershirt and sure enough there was a small gash where the arrow cut through. _I'll have to get that patched up back home._

When I exited the room, both princesses were leaned against the railing and Mipha was aghast, "He got all four of them? Really?" I guessed they were talking about the Lizalfos incident, I didn't give much details about the encounter so I guess princess Zelda was filling Mipha in. They heard me exit and turned, Mipha looked at me, "A black Lizalfos attacked you and you had no problems?!" She was looking at me in disbelief, "Well, yeah, the Master Sword helps a lot," I didn't want to brag or anything, especially to two princesses, it wasn't very knightly. Princess Zelda spoke, "Not like he needed it! He's always been an incredible swordsman, my father told me all about it." I tried to hide my embarrassment, they were bragging about me and it made me feel weird. It was weird to me to receive praise from someone so bluntly like that. I heard some movement around the bend and Mipha spoke, "They'll bring a table and dinner in for us soon, tell me more about this fight, Link!" I slapped my palm on my face to hide the heat I felt rising in my cheeks.

It wasn't long until a few attendants came by carrying a table, chairs, and some dinner. I inhaled when the plates went by, "Smells like the Hylian bass is on the menu! What's the seasoning they used? It smells incredible!" Mipha laughed at my antics, knowing me to be quite the eater, "Well we had some spices sent in from the Gorons from Death Mountain. They make an incredible sweet and spicy mix that's to die for!" Now I couldn't wait to eat. I watched the attendants intently as they set the table and uncovered the delicious food. Hylian bass with the red Goron seasoning and a side of rice. _That looks delicious!_

Finally the table was set and it was time to eat. I rushed to pull out the seat of the princess while an attendant grabbed Mipha's chair. "Thank you, Link," the princess smiled back. I nodded and pushed her seat in, taking my own. Once situated, Mipha began the conversation, "So, Zelda, what did you want to tell me about the Divine Beasts?" After she finished chewing, the princess responded, "Well, we've learned the original purpose the Divine Beasts served when they were constructed 10,000 years ago. They were a countermeasure to an ancient evil, Calamity Ganon. They all had a pilot, a champion. This champion would guide the beast's actions to serve as a weapon against the evil. I came to ask if you would join me as a champion. It's no coincidence Link has pulled the Master Sword, the beasts are being uncovered as well as the guardians. I can feel something is coming soon." Mipha choked on her food at the proposal, "Me? A champion? But, I could never. I'm not a strong fighter, how could I help?" Zelda smiled reassuringly, "Mipha, you are more strong than you give yourself credit for. You have incredible fight in your soul, an unshakable will and determination, and the blessing of healing no Zora has had in centuries. You are the champion we need." This was the first I'd heard about any calamity or ancient evil, but I too felt the coming of something terrible. We had to be ready, and Mipha was the right choice.

As the evening progressed, the princesses discussed the details of being a champion. They talked about Vah Ruta, the great machine that was currently being excavated by Zora's Domain. I kept mostly to eating, I couldn't help it. The fish was delicious! I did keep listening to the conversation around me, however. It was intriguing, seeing this very knowledgeable side of the princess. _She's so smart._ I was caught staring when the princess spoke, "What is it, Link? Is there food on my face?" She looked worried, I went red and averted my gaze, "No, princess. I must excuse myself, I, need to train?" My tone certainly didn't help with my lie. Mipha looked down and the princess simply nodded at my odd behavior. I grabbed the Master Sword and left the room. _I probably look like a fool right now. I can't keep having these lapses in concentration. _My sword hummed as I left the room, _"You really shouldn't lie to her, master. She is very smart, I agree. But be careful, there is a great deal at stake you must always be on guard to protect her. She is just as important to fighting the calamity as you are, master." _I knew Fi was right, I can't keep all of this bottled up. _Would it help if I said something? No way, that would make it awkward. I just need to focus on protecting her and getting stronger! Maybe another day..._

There was a light rain out and I let it fall, focusing on each drop as it passed. Sword sheathed I waited to strike. _There! _I quickly pulled my sword and slashed through the air, splitting my target in two. A single rain drop, which was now two, fell to the ground. With each training session, my skills were further refined. The power of the Master Sword was something to be reckoned with, that much was sure. Sheathing the sword, I prepared to strike again. I was out there about 30 minutes, maybe an hour? Suddenly my concentration was broken by the sound of soft footsteps behind me, "You like her, don't you?" I turned and my friend stood a few feet away, looking down I responded, "I shouldn't, but," she ran up and pulled me into a hug and sniffed, "It's okay, Link. I completely understand. How couldn't you? She's wonderful." I held my friend as she softly sobbed, I understood her pain. I felt it myself, more so I felt guilt. _It isn't right, it isn't fair to her. I just met the princess, how could I do this to Mipha? But it wouldn't be fair to show Mipha feigned affection either._ I softly whispered, "I love you, Mipha. You'll always be my best friend, I'm sorry we couldn't be more. But," She slowly disengaged the hug, grinning through her tears, "I love you too, Link. Don't worry, I won't be going anywhere any time soon. I'm a champion now! We'll get to see each other a great deal more than we used to." I smiled at the thought, it was a nice sentiment and it was comforting. _I always got your back Mipha. No matter what. _


	10. Alone in Thought

Chapter 10: Alone in Thought

I stood outside the princess' room all night. Mipha offered me a place to sleep, "Come on, Link. She'll be fine! You can sleep on the floor in my room! Just like old times." I simply shook my head at her, "I would, Mipha, but I've been too relaxed with my duty. I need to protect her, wherever she is." It's not like I really needed sleep anyway. I had hardly even slept the night we started our journey, by the campfire. The Master Sword was clearly at work again. _Is there anything this sword can't do? _I thought to myself, alone on the balcony. The light rain from earlier had long ceased, I could almost hear the light snores through the guest bedroom door. The soft rush of the water flowing from the domain down below and the starlit sky was beautiful. But the night had only just begun. With many hours to go on my watch, I leaned against the railing. _It's gonna be a long night tonight, huh?_

With no desire to sleep, all I had were thoughts and memories to focus on. Looking out over the water far below, I saw the spot where I had my first kiss. It wasn't really up to me, to be honest. Mipha tricked me that day we played hide-and-seek. I swam all over looking for her, I must have been ten at the time. I remember hearing her snicker and my keen ears picked it up. Seeing a flash of red shoot behind the pillar, I knew I'd won. _"Here I come, Mipha!"_ She started giggling more audibly now, now I knew for sure I had it in the bag. I climbed up on the foundation by the pillar and quickly peeked around to catch her. That's when I caught a mouthful of Zoran princess. She was already puckered up when I rounded the corner and our faces collided, unceremoniously. It hardly counted as far as kisses go, but she took what she could get, _"Eww, Mipha! Gross! You're a girl that's totally nasty!"_ I turned away to hide the red on my cheeks and she simply giggled at me, _"Got you, Link! Don't act like you didn't like kissing a princess!"_ She always got cocky when she tricked me like that. It certainly wasn't her only try over the years to get to me.

I sighed as the memory faded, the rest of that day nothing but a blur. That got me thinking about us, Mipha and I. _Was I wrong to reject her like that? Did I really need to go so far as to tell her about my true feelings? Why do I feel this way? It's wrong to feel this way, right? I'm just a dumb knight, she's a beautiful genius and a princess! Why do I feel like this? _The question rang in my head over and over, _Why? Why?_ I smacked my cheeks and shook my head. Now wasn't the time, I was on duty. _Not today, not right now. _My sword hummed to life, _"If not now, then when, master? Clearly your strong attraction clouds your judgement. You know just as well as I do a warrior has no room for a lapse in focus during a fight." _There she went again, being right. "I know Fi. It just isn't easy admitting something like that, what if she doesn't feel that way toward me? I know you said she was looking at me once, but that's nothing more than looks. I get that from time to time from other girls, and it doesn't mean anything. How do I know this is any different?" I could feel the rumble on my back again, _"You don't, master. You and your past lives wield the Triforce of Courage. So have a little courage, that's all it takes, master." _I sighed again, turning and sliding down the railing. I leaned back a let my eyes fall on the door. Fi sure was making a lot of sense. _It's just a leap of faith then, huh? If only it were that easy, Fi._

A few hours passed as I thought about what to say to the princess, how to say it. I tried to focus, taking in my surroundings constantly, but I couldn't. I needed to take my mind off the subject so I asked Fi, "Hey, Fi?" The Master Sword hummed to life, _"Yes, master?" _I thought about my questions a bit then asked, "What was I like before? My past lives? Was I always the same?" After a brief pause, Fi responded, _"Your spirit has lived many adventurous lives, some more so than others, master. Were you different? Sometimes you led the fight against Ganon as a young boy, sometimes a young man. On the waves of a great sea, through time, and even through the darkness of the twilight realm. But you always came out victorious. Sometimes you were lighthearted and fun-loving, others you were bold and brash, but always courageous in the face of any danger. No man, monster, or demon could stand before you without fear in their eyes."_ One particular word caught my attention, "Did you say, demon?" Again Fi paused, then spoke, _"Yes, master, that adventure is where our journey together began. Would you like to hear some stories about your past?" _I simply nodded, and Fi obliged.

After a little over an hour, the sun began to rise. Its yellows and oranges glowed over the water in a beautiful mixture as I stared over the water, _"Then you allowed the lightning to strike the Master Sword, and delivered a finishing blow to the demon king. That's when he cursed you and the princess for eternity. After millennia, you still stand undefeated against Demise's evil reincarnation. Myself and the Master Sword intend to keep it that way, master." _It sure was a lot to take in, but it was a welcome change of subject. I'd always wondered about the heroes of the past, how could I ever compare? They all had such great feats of strength, even at a young age. Fi told me all about the hero of the winds and the hero of time as well during our talk. _I'll never be as powerful as them. They took on so many trials, even before drawing the Master Sword. All I did was become a knight and pull the sword. I've fought small groups of monsters, but the hero of time took on a giant spider monster as a kid! How could I ever do something like that? How could I ever hope to live up to the legends of these great heroes?_

My concentration broke again and someone almost slipped by me, going straight to the princess' door. "Hey, who are you?" I tried not to sound rude, but I put enough intensity into my voice to get the point across. The young lady turned around, a Hylian with blonde hair and travel gear, "Oh, no one important. Someone asked me to bring something for the princess is all." Her smile was oddly wide, almost scary looking. I wasn't buying it, "How about you give me whatever it is and I'll give it to the princess when she wakes?" Her smile started to fade, "I was told, very specifically I might add, to bring this directly to the princess. Her hands only." She was a little demanding at this point. There was a flash of red in her eyes and I knew something was about to happen, "Well I guess you'll have to wait till she wakes up, there's no way I'm letting you in there." The girl straightened up and grabbed the straps of her bag, "Very well, the hard way it is." With a flash of red smoke and strange paper ribbon-like things she was gone, replaced by a slender figure carrying a sickle. The figure had a strange mask that had, the Sheikah symbol? No, it was upside down. The new voice was more masculine, "The Yiga will not let the princess stop our plans! Let's go, idiot!" I drew the Master Sword, which began to glow bright in the dim sunlight, "Bring it, asshole."


	11. On the Road Again

Chapter 11: On the Road Again

The scrawny assassin laughed, "Good luck keeping up, slowpoke." With that, another flash of red and more ribbons. I scanned around me, looking up and down the path on which I stood. I leaned over the rail to look below when I heard a sadistic laugh behind me, "I got you, fool!" I quickly sidestepped just in time, the sickle cutting the air where I once stood. _"Now's your chance, master!"_ Fi screamed in my mind, a new opening created for a flurry of blows.

As quickly as they came, my enemy fell. _"As I said, master. There truly is no equal to the strength you now harbor."_ I was honestly in disbelief myself, this new power was astounding. It didn't take long for the princess to stick her head out of the guest bedroom, quickly gagging at the sight of blood and appendages spread about. "Princess, let me explain!" She slammed her door and I quickly sheathed my blade, knocking for permission to enter. I heard her speak, "Come in, but don't open the door too wide. That almost made me sick." I heard her orders and did as I was asked.

Upon entering, she had her back to the door. From what I could see she had her hair down and undone. A simple baby-blue robe that ended right above the knee was all she wore. Fighting to keep my eyes above her hips I quickly scanned the room, "You're alone right princess?" I searched everywhere for signs of any others, content to find us alone. Then she spoke, "What the hell is going on, Link? Why is there a dead guy out there?" Sheathing my blade I replied, "Someone was attempting to enter your room uninvited and disguised. I believe they intended on taking your life, princess." At this her mouth fell agape, and a knock came at the door, "Princess, open this at once! This is the Zoran Royal Guard." She yelled for them to enter and they quickly burst in, spears up.

After a quick discussion, they identified the assassin as a Yiga clan member. I'd heard a little of them as their raids in the Gerudo desert had started to become more frequent. It was definitely disconcerting to see one outside of the Gerudo desert, even the highlands, much less all the way out here. They were getting bolder. I knew I'd have to report on this when we returned so I took note in my journal of anything I could. _Yiga, male, mid-height, small frame, sickle, brown hair._

While I was taking notes, Mipha approached with a concerned look, "Link, princess, are you alright?" She pulled me into a hug, then let go to grab the princess. She answered for me, "Yes, Mipha, we're both quite alright. Link protected me." I couldn't help but notice her slight blush when she looked toward me. I looked back at my notes to stay focused, "This gave us all quite a fright. Luckily Link was here to protect you." Mipha smiled at me with the princess still in a hug.

After we spoke some more with the Zoran guard, I approached the princesses, "Princess, Mipha, I know we were to stay another day but I think it would be best if we returned immediately." They both groaned in disappointment, then the princess replied, "I suppose you're right, Link. Not that I don't trust you and the Zoran guard to protect me, but I can't stand the thought of any harm coming to your people due to my presence." With solemn nods shared and another hug, Mipha took me into a long hug and whispered, "take care of her, you hear me?" I patted her back in response, backing off and nodding with a smile. It was still before lunchtime, so we could make it back to our original camping spot from the other night before it got dark this time.

I gathered our horses, and lead them to the princess. She was waiting by the fountain in the middle of the plaza. It was at the bottom of two staircases and little Zoras were running around splashing each other merrily. She heard the hooves on stone and turned to see me approach. She waited by her horse, expectantly, and I again helped her up. It was becoming pretty standard that I helped her onto Storm's back. Once mounted up, we said our final goodbye. I took my place three paces behind, and we sped up as we neared the end of the long bridge. _This princess guarding business really is taking it out of me_.

The ride back started out rather silent, I could tell the princess was distressed. Perhaps a quick break was in order, "Princess, would you like to take a break for a moment." She turned back with a solemn look, "That would be nice, Link. I need a little to eat." I knew that look. Clearly she'd never seen someone dead before. It was different than something like a funeral to see a body before you, covered in blood and dismembered. I guess all the monsters I'd slain had numbed me to it a bit, or maybe it was the sword? This was honestly the first human life I'd ever took, and I really didn't feel anything.

We stopped a few minutes after on the side of the road, she stepped off and stopped near a tree. We probably had another hour or two of riding, so she pulled a carrot out of her saddlebag for a snack. Leaning against the tree she stated, "How do you do it, Link?" I had a feeling I knew what she meant but I asked anyway, "I'm not sure I follow, princess." She looked down toward her feet, "Killing, death, how do you do it? Doesn't it scare you? Does it make you sick?" I could understand to the untrained, fighting and death was truly horrid, "The only thing between you and a monster that wants you dead is your blade. I took an oath to protect the crown, and you. I just have to act, sometimes in ways that make me not sleep so good." I tried to keep it short, details never helped with topics like this.

She silently nodded and nibbled the carrot for a few more moments. She finished about half and gave the rest to Storm, which he happily devoured. "Ready to keep going, princess?" Again, only a nod for a response. I wasn't a huge fan of this quiet, downtrodden princess. Her upbeat attitude, even in our silence, made the trips a little easier. But it really wasn't my place to be all friendly with her. As much as I know I'd like to, we were more coworkers than anything. _I guess that's all we'll ever be. _It was a painful thought, sure, but valid. She's a princess, I'm a just a soon-to-be royal guard. We couldn't be more than that if we wanted to be. Plus I wasn't quite sure if she even wanted to be.

I slapped my cheeks, bringing the focus back. _I gotta keep my eyes on her and our surroundings, come one Link! _It wasn't long after until Fi spoke up, _"Master, I figured now was a good time to talk about that skill you saw with the Lizalfos and the Yiga assassin. When time slowed down. I neglected to mention it when you were on guard duty." _I responded telepathically, _yeah Fi I remember. What's the deal with that anyway? Time slows down but not for me I don't get it?_ As I hypothesized just what it was she spoke, _"As years have passed, the Master Sword continued to grow in power. With that new skills were available to the Chosen Hero. This is one of those new skills, master. A temporal dilation of sorts. It activates when you dodge an enemy's blow at just the right time, allowing you to strike while their guard is down with a flurry of blows." _It was a strange concept, I surely had no idea what temporary whatever the heck she said was, but it sounded cool to me. _As long as I'm better at fulfilling my job of protecting the princess, I'm happy._

I was more content after speaking with Fi. She was very knowledgeable about all of this and has been a tremendous help. I wish she could help the princess though. Her mood seemed to stay the same, even as we reached camp. I was hoping maybe a good meal would open her up. Talking seemed to help others, I'm sure if she spoke a little with a full belly she'd be okay. We pulled up on the same spot, our old campfire from the other night waterlogged from the previous day's rain. As we slowed I hopped off, jogging to her side with a helping hand. A small smile crossed her lips, _well hey there's a little progress._ She stepped down from Storm and we began unpacking.

She ran into a similar problem as last time, struggling with the tent setup. She turned around her mouth parted, but she only got out, "Link, can... oh you're already here." I had started walking to her not long after she pulled the tent kit out. She gave me that same little smile, "Don't worry, princess, I got it." She stood and backed off, electing to try her hand and starting the fire, "I can handle the fire too, princess. Please sit down and relax, it's been quite a day." I heard a relieved sigh and couldn't help but grin. Hearing her feel good made me feel even better.

It didn't take long until tents were up and the fire was going. She was leaning against her travel pack she took off her horse and she had set mine right next to her while I was fooling with the fire. I went to grab it to move and she put her hand down on it, "It's okay, I don't bite." I tried to hide the red on my cheeks and she smiled, "I can't thank you enough, Link. You saved my life twice in less than 24 hours. You truly are a hero." I tried hard and held back the smile trying to form, "Just doing my job princess." I felt something on my shoulder and looked down to see a mass of blonde hair, "Mmmmhmmm, tell me about your training, Link. Tell me about the Royal Guard." Trying to gather myself was difficult with one of the wonders of the world leaning on my shoulder, collecting my thoughts I said, "Well it was mostly like typical military training, until one day me and my roommate woke up chained together in a cave."


	12. Trials

**This chapter will have a flashback sequence while Link tells a story. Each time a flashback ends or begins I'll put a dash (-) to mark it.**

Chapter 12: Trials

**-**Goddesses my head hurts. It's pounding and I can't see anything, and my hands are bound? I shake and pull but the pressure just builds in my wrists and with every movement there's a sharp pain in my leg. I shake again and someone groans. "Is someone there?" I hear more chains rattle and it feels like someone is pulling back against my wrists. Fear started to build in my gut but I stood firm, "Hey who the hell is that? Show yourself!" More groaning, then a voice, "Link? Where are you, brother? I can't see anything." The fear quickly dissipated and I reached out to follow the length of my chain, "Johnny! It's me, brother! I'll work my way down the chain and try and find you."

Following the length I quickly reached a wall that felt like course, damp stone. _This feels like the walls of a cave, where the hell are we? _Continuing down the chain I found Johnny and wrapped him in a hug, "Aw man I'm glad you're alright! Do you have any idea what's going on or where we are?" I pulled back and my eyes began to slowly focus in the dark, I could faintly see fluid dripping down in his face, "No idea, Link. Judging by this wall behind me we're definitely in a cave but that's all I know." Losing focus on his words I wiped his forehead then brought my fingers to my nose, smelling copper, "Johnny, you're bleeding! We gotta get out of these chains and get you wrapped up, help me out here. There's a ring holding our chains to the wall. If we push hard enough maybe we can pull it loose." I could see him faintly nod and we both laid against the ground, preparing to push against the wall.

It took several minutes of pushing the wall while on our backs, but we eventually heard the screeching of the metal dragging out of the stone. With one final heave, the ring pulled out of the wall and the large, thin nails that were holding it came out with it. The pain in my leg was almost unbearable but we had to get moving. I grabbed the nails, just in case we'd need a weapon. Finally free, to an extent, I met back in the middle by Johnny, "Well, Johnny, now we gotta find our way out of this cave. My eyes have adjusted a bit so I have an idea of where the cave goes, but I can barely see past ten feet." He nodded, losing each other wouldn't be a problem since we were still chained together so we just had to search for any hint of light. We scooped up as much chain as we could carry so it wouldn't drag on the ground and get us hung up or detected, then slowly crept through the cave. **-**

The princess was clearly entertained with the story so far, she had since sat up and was leaned over and listening intently, "So did you guys get out of the cave? How did you end up there? Did someone kidnap you?" I grinned at her childlike excitement, "I promise, princess, we will get to that part. We had no idea what happened we just knew we had to get out and get home. So anyway like I was saying..."

**-**I could tell we were both getting weary already because each of us had let some slack down from our chain and begun dragging it. Plus my leg hurt like hell. _I don't want to take a break just yet but we are making way too much noise. Maybe a quick break, is that light? _Further down the corridor after rounding a corner I finally spotted the dull, blue glow of the moon's light. It was the first bit of light we'd seen after traveling for almost fifteen minutes through this cave. Luckily it hadn't taken us too long. Nearing the cave's entrance, Johnny's face finally lit up more clearly. His hair was dirty and disheveled, with mud, grass, and blood matting it down. He had a small cut on his cheek and a bruise on his neck like he'd been beaten up. Apparently I didn't look too great either, "Link you got all kinds of shit sticking out of your hair, and you're bleeding too. Look at your leg." Looking down at my left leg there was a lot of blood seeping through my trousers. I figured I was wounded just due to the pain I'd been feeling but this looks bad. "Let's just get outside and we can assess the issues," I said quickly to keep Johnny focused on something else.

Outside the cave I quickly noticed several things, it was warm, we were in a forest, and I could hear the sounds of bokoblins playing music and hanging out nearby. Luckily, the trees were dense and the sounds of the bokoblins and nature kept our rattling chains from being noticed. We both leaned up and slid down a tree near the cave entrance to catch our breath, "Hey, Link?" I looked at him and nodded for him to continue, "What the fuck is going on?" I stifled a laugh when he grinned, _He really doesn't take anything seriously._ I looked down at the chains we had on then back at him, "I wish I could tell you. All I know is we need to get these things off quick, you hear the bokoblins nearby? These things make too much noise we'll be in serious trouble." He nodded, agreeing with me, and we set to work on finding a way out.

It took us both way too long to brainstorm a way out until I finally remembered, "I'm an idiot." Johnny looked at me quizzically, when I pulled the nails out of my belt, "I grabbed these after we pulled the ring out of the wall that held our chain. Maybe we can work these into the locks on our wrists and open the shackles." Handing one over he looked back grinning, "Took you long enough, my wrists were starting to get sore." I shook my head and we both got to work. We had learned techniques like this from our intro training in the royal guard. It was more than just combat, we learned survival techniques, like picking locks. Working the nail in the lock, I heard a loud 'pop' when the first shackle came loose. After getting the other off, Johnny followed shortly behind, free from his bindings. "Let's hang on to these nails, might be able to fight back with these." I nodded at Johnny's idea and we stalked our way to the camp.**-**

"No way you didn't fight a whole camp of bokoblins with just a set of nails?" She was in disbelief, I couldn't help smiling again, "It was our only option, princess. Plus it wasn't a head on fight, they train the royal guards in stealth too..."

**-**We crept slowly toward the ruckus until the bokoblin camp came into sight. Hiding behind a tree and a bush we could easily see the whole group. It wasn't a huge camp, just four blue bokoblins around a fire eating and making strange noises at each other. _I guess they're talking, sounds like gibberish to me. _They had swords and shields laying around and one had a bow with a quiver full of arrows, I noticed Johnny eyeballing those items particularly. I tapped his shoulder to indicate we should move back and make a plan when another creature came into view. This beast was well over eight feet tall, silver-colored, and had one long horn atop its head. Holding its spear next to it like a walking stick, it too spoke at the bokoblins in some strange language. My eyes went wide as did Johnny's when we made eye contact. We immediately backed up a couple yards behind a different tree to come up with a plan.**-**

"So you expect me to believe you two went in basically unarmed, and wounded, and took out four bokoblins and a moblin? A silver moblin no less? That creature alone would be too much for some of our royal guards," the princess was not buying it. "Well princess, I would not lie to you about such things. I have no reason to boast I'm simply retelling a story of a difficult trial of my past. I assure you this is no joke." The disbelief slowly left her gaze and I continued the story.

**-**"Link, there's no way this is gonna work. There's five of them and two of us, and one of them is basically as strong as a red-maned lynel! How do you expect us to get through that with two nails? Plus you have a gash in your leg, that's gonna slow you down big time." Johnny had a point but he was missing the key difference between us and the monsters, "They're strong, but we're smart. We not only have the element of surprise here, but our brains to thin their numbers extremely quickly. All we have to do is sneak up behind the archer, and you'll have a bow. They're all facing in mostly the same direction, if we get behind them fast enough we can quickly take two out and grab their weapons. Once we're armed the bokoblins will be no problem. With the moblin, we might need to improvise." Johnny shook his head, clearly he wasn't too thrilled but it was the only plan we had. He looked up and grinned mischievously,"Well it's a hell of a way to go out, brother. Let's hope this plan of yours pans out." I nodded back grinning, "It has to work, we've got more important things to do back home and these stupid monsters aren't gonna slow us down."**-**

The excitement on the princess' face was a wonderful sight, she was fidgeting her hands and her eyes were locked on my face. I couldn't help but take it all in, relishing the notion that the princess of Hyrule was on the edge of her seat to hear what I had to say. My distracted admiration was cut short when the princess spoke again, "Well, don't stop now, Link! What happened next?" Again that childish excitement made me grin from ear to ear, "My apologies, princess. As I was saying, we had a plan, and we had a way to fight back. Now, it was time to put our training up to this point to the test."


	13. Chapter 13: Trials pt 2

Chapter 13: Trials pt 2

-Johnny and I stilled ourselves for the coming engagement. Wielding nails we pulled from the stone walls of our former prison cave, we found an ideal spot to ambush the patrolling archer. "You ready, Johnny?" He nodded in response and stepped closer to the edge of the clearing. Making a small rustling noise in the bushes to attract the archer brought the bokoblin's attention to Johnny's position. Hesitantly approaching, the bokoblin sniffed the bush, the prodded with his bow. Johnny grabbed the bow firmly and pulled the bokoblin along with it, a nail quickly meeting the creature's throat to silence it. One down, several to go.

Johnny armed himself with the bow and ten arrows, as he was usually a better shot than myself. With their backs to us, the unsuspecting group continued jovially without notice. Johnny knocked three arrows at once to handle the remaining bokoblins, and I readied myself for a sneak attack against the silver moblin. Using my enhanced stealth training from the royal guard, I got within feet of the enemy. I trusted my brother and nodded into the darkness, with a response of three arrows whizzing past my head into the necks of the unsuspecting monsters. I jumped as high as I could with a war cry, bringing the two nails down into the upper back of the moblin. I knew it wouldn't be enough, but it staggered the beast long enough for me to pick up a wooden shield and a short sword from his dead counterparts.

"Start letting more arrows loose, Johnny! You gotta slow him down for me!" I quickly backflipped, as best I could on my injured leg, to avoid a broad swing from the creature's spear, luckily only catching a small cut on my back. Landing in pain, I clenched my teeth and readied my sword and shield. The creature let out an ear splitting roar when one of Johnny's arrows hit home in his shoulder. Taking advantage of his pain, I ran and slid on my knees between the moblin's legs. On the way by I slashed the back of his knee on his front leg, bringing him to the ground. Another arrow struck the creature, eliciting cries of pain. I approached the pitiful creature, preparing to strike. But these silver moblins weren't called tough for no reason. When I was within range for the finishing blow, a backhand struck me in the head sending me back several feet.-

The princess gasped at my words, "Oh dear, Link! You should've known better, you could've got yourself killed! What would I have done if..." She stopped mid sentence and her cheeks flushed, "Never mind, continue your story," she remarked in a proper tone, straightening up.

-My head was spinning even worse than when I was in the cave, and the shadow of the beast overcame me. Another screech from the monster as Johnny placed three shots in its back. "I've only got two more shots, Link! You gotta finish him off we may need the other arrows!" He put up his bow and ran to the dead bokoblins to arm himself. The moblin's attention was drawn to my greatest friend and it ran to intercept. "Johnny he's coming!" But I wasn't quick enough, a long swipe from the creature's spear brought Johnny down. Blood was leaking heavily from the wound on his chest and I could see his struggled breathing. With one last burst of adrenaline, I sprinted to the moblin while it prepared its final blow on my brother. "Get away from him you bastard!" I tackled the creature to the ground, then hopped off and back on my feet.

The creature was dazed, my best friend was dying, and I had to end this now. With all the strength left in my being I ran and jumped, flipping in the air to gain momentum, and brought my sword down hard on the monster's sternum. Its tough body put up resistance so I pushed on the hilt of the blade, driving it deep into the creature's lungs. As its blood seeped from the wound, bubbling and pink, I knew I'd punctured its lung. I removed my sword from its chest and approached the head of the moblin. Its pained expression and labored breathing told me I needed to finish it off, to alleviate its pain. Without hesitation, I stepped to the side of its neck and brought my sword down hard, beheading the creature completely.-

It was a difficult story to tell, I'd almost forgotten the painful feelings it brought me thinking about executing the creature in such a helpless state, but I had to. "Of course we both ended up surviving the rest of the time we had out in the woods, but I can tell you more about that story another day, princess." I was staring at our little campfire, mulling over these feelings when a tender hand on my shoulder pulled me out of my stupor, "It must have been difficult, Link. It takes a lot of strength to understand what has to be done, even if you don't want to do it You're a very courageous man for jumping in to save your friend despite your injuries, I see why you were chosen by the Goddesses." I couldn't help but smile into the beautiful green eyes of the princess. I could feel my face get hot at her tender words, and hers clearly did too. But neither of us looked away and it felt like the gravity between us was increasing. She leaned ever closer with her eyelids drooping, almost closed, while she now stared at my lips. _Is she about to? _I was cut off when wet heat made contact with my lips and I felt fire in my chest.

I slowly opened my eyes to the princess leaning back, her fingers delicately touching her own lips with my hand cupping her jawline. Snapping out of this interaction I jumped to my feet then took a knee before her, "Princess, please forgive me! I have done a great disservice to you and the kingdom and defiled you. I deserve nothing less than death for this dishonor." I laid the Master Sword on the ground before me to show my submission, but the only response I got was not with words. Instead I felt a soft hand grab my chin and angle it upwards. Meeting those beautiful green eyes again, our lips clashed once more. The fire in my chest grew as I felt her hands wander from my arms and chest, to my face and back. I couldn't bring myself to touch her back, but I sure wasn't going to end this kiss if I could help it.

Disconnecting after a few more moments she finally spoke in a soft, but joking tone, "If you call that a disservice, I'd like to see what you would call a good job." She giggled cutely and my face got extremely hot. I watched intently as she sauntered back to her tent, swaying her hips as if to taunt me. I kept my eyes locked on her and when she reached her tent she turned and smiled when she caught me staring, "I'm very glad you shared that story with me, Link. I'm excited to hear more and learn new things about you." The tone of her voice made me think she meant more than that, but I stayed stoic and took it as I heard it, "Of course, princess. I'll be sure to share more with you about my life whenever you desire." She smiled, and ducked into her tent. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, then she stuck her head back out of the tent, "Oh yeah, by the way," she wore a mischievous smirk, "just call me Zelda."


	14. Return to Base

Chapter 14: Return to Base

I slept restlessly that night, rightfully so due to the events of the evening. _I kissed the princess of Hyrule. A knight. Kissed the princess. I'm gonna get strung up for this. What if someone finds out? What if she says something to Impa? What if... _My train of though was interrupted when I heard rustling in the princess' tent, the sun had been up about an hour so she's right on time. I stand up and shake my head clear of all the strange thoughts and quickly dress myself.

I got myself covered up and already started a quick breakfast by the time she emerged. "Oh, Link, that smells wonderful! What are you making?" I could hear her voice behind me as she approached, and soon felt her touch on my shoulder. _Oh man, not this again. _I kept myself in check and responded simply, "Well, princess, this is..." I was quickly cut off by her chastising voice, "Hey, I told you not to call me that anymore." I turned to meet her gaze and she had a furrowed brow and pursed lips, waiting for me to correct myself. Clearing my throat, "Of course, Zelda," it still didn't feel right coming out of my mouth, but she smiled nonetheless, "like I was gonna say, I just threw some fresh herbs and veggies from the Domain in with some eggs to make us omelets. I figured if we get a quick, light breakfast we can make it back to town right before sundown." Content with that answer she sat beside the fire, uncomfortably close to me, and leaned on my shoulder to watch me cook.

A few moments later, our breakfast was done. I served her first and she groaned in delight with the first bite, "This is incredible, Link! You never cease to impress me." I tried my best to turn my reddening cheeks from her gaze, to no avail. I could hear her giggle in response, which only furthered my embarrassment. Throughout our meal, she stayed connected to me in one form or another. Whether she was leaning on my shoulder, putting a hand on my arm or thigh, or just generally being snuggled up against me.

It wasn't that I necessarily _hated_ the contact but it certainly was unbecoming of a royal knight like myself. I tried to move or take myself away from the situation but I couldn't help but lose focus and reciprocate the actions. At one point I made the fatal mistake of placing my hand on top of hers that was laid on my leg. I tried not to look at her when I felt her gaze on me but it was no use, I couldn't control my head from turning to meet her eyes. Her gorgeous green eyes. It was impossible now to not feel the ever increasing pull between us, and I felt my mind slipping as it had the night before. Before I knew it our lips made contact once again, more brashly and wanting than our first time. It took the complete sum of my willpower to pull away from the blonde beauty when her hand moved higher up my thigh, "I'm sorry, princess, er Zelda. But you know we must be going soon." She couldn't do anything to hide the disappointment on her face from me and I felt a tight grip on my heart. I hated that look on her, especially directed at me, but it couldn't be helped. Tearing myself away I began to clean up and pack the rest of our camp, while her eyes followed me around dejectedly.

It didn't take long for me to pack everything up on Epona and the princess' white colt. "Prin-Zelda, everything's ready it's time to go," I spoke to her and turned from her horse to meet her expecting eyes. I couldn't help but grin and grab her waist to hoist her on the saddle. With red cheeks and a smile she finally responded, "Very well, Link. Let's get home." Nodding in reply I easily hopped on the back of Epona and whipped the reins, "HYA!" Recognizing her cue, Epona started to jog with the princess soon catching up to my side. Taking in the vast wide open space of the outdoors, I relished the sounds and smells of nature. My ears were soon distracted by the young, blonde-haired beauty on my left, "Link, I'm... well I'm sorry if I got too... touchy or something. It's just-" before she finished I responded, "It's not a problem, Zelda. It's not that the feeling isn't mutual," _Why did I say that? _"You just know the kind of trouble it could cause if a lowly knight like myself-" It was her turn to cut me off this time, "You are no ordinary knight, Link! You are the hero! Chosen by the goddesses to fight for and protect Hyrule alongside me. Don't talk so lowly of yourself." I couldn't think of any way to respond to such high praise, from the princess no less. Hiding my blushing cheeks, I heard her horse get closer and felt a hand on my shoulder, "You are so much more than a lowly knight, Link." I looked up from my lap to see her bright green eyes and a toothy grin, I wish I never had to take my eyes away.

Other than mindless chit-chat, not much happened for a few hours. We stopped for a quick lunch before continuing on our way shortly after. On the trail again, the princess was in the middle of complimenting my cooking again when I spotted two small groups of mounted men approaching from either side of us and a single rider ahead. I put up a hand to stop the princess, her talking and her horse, "What's the matter, Link? Oh? Who are these men? Do you know them?" Putting up a finger silenced her quickly and she understood the situation. _Three on the left, three on the right, all armed with bows and swords. One ahead, looks like the boss and only has a sword. _The horses on either side stopped when they were about ten yards from our sides, with a few feet in between each man. Now that they were closer I confirmed my suspicions. They were all wearing hooded shirts with light leather armor to protect the vitals and masks over their face. A simple thought passed through my mind, _It's always something._

The man straight ahead stopped about ten yards away and pulled down his mask. He had a gray, patchy five o'clock shadow with small scars on his cheeks and above his left eye. He spoke in a deep, gravely voice, "Hey there travelers! Oh my! Looks like we got a princess on our hands boys!" His statement was followed by the hoots and hollers of his crew, "Y'all've had the unfortunate pleasure of running into me and my boys today. Young man, you look smart I'm sure you understand the situation. Drop the sword, empty your pockets, and I'll take that pretty little girl off your hands. I'm sure she's been a royal pain in the neck for you anyway." After that sentence, two horsemen, one from either side, closed behind us leaving no route for escape. Completely surrounded, the princess spoke, "Please sir, it seems you have misunderstood the situation," she looked at me then grinned, "It would be safer for you all to leave us be and allow us passage." The man looked back and forth to a few of his boys and myself, then boisterous laughter ensued, "AHAHAHAHA, you think you and this _boy_ have a chance against the seven of us? You must be insane, fellas get these kids tied up we'll take um both I'm sure they'll fetch a helluva price." The boss pulled his mask back up, "_Master, it would behoove you to show mercy. You are the hero of Hyrule, although they are criminals they are Hyruleans nonetheless." _I answered back to my guide, _Don't worry, Fi. I won't kill them, I'll let the king decide on that. _It was after my little talk with Fi that I noticed each of the six thugs closing in slowly. Two had bows drawn, two had swords, two had ropes, while the captain sat ahead with his large, jagged sword drawn to look intimidating. I couldn't help but smile, despite the severity of the situation, my pride getting the better of me as I spoke, "Well boys, might as well get this over with. Gotta be home for dinner."


	15. Chapter 15: Close Call

Chapter 15: Close Call

I hopped off Epona, unsheathing the Master Sword. I then reached into my saddlebag and pulled out a spare broadsword and put my weapon of choice back into the saddle. The shocked looks on the bandits' faces told me exactly what I'd been thinking, _They clearly hadn't seen the Sword on my back until now, might as well give them another chance to think this over, _"So gentlemen, are we still sure this is how y'all want to spend your afternoon?" It was hard to hold back the cocky tone in my statement, but a voice of caution took the forefront. I noticed a few of the bandits shift in their saddles, but their leader stayed stoic, "You think some _special_ sword is gonna scare me and my boys off? You got another thing coming, kid!" I shrugged in feigned defeat and took my stance, wielding the sword in my right hand, with several drawn bows now pointed our direction. "The two of you in the back get to the girl, we'll take care of this kid!" With a shout from their leader, the bandits made their move.

Acting on instinct I grabbed the princess' reigns and turned her horse back from where we came, smacking it and yelling to send it away. My yell and her horse's movement caused the bandits' horses to rear back, making just enough room for her to slip through. She took the hint and took back control of the horse to get as far away from this as she could. Several arrows flew our way so I quickly deflected them with the flat of my sword, then swung at the two who were tasked to retrieve the princess. To stop their pursuit, I slashed quickly at each of the riders' saddle straps to bring them falling off their mounts. The horses kept running while the two dismounted bandits stood back up and faced me. The princess was well out of range by now when another volley of arrows came my way, which I dispatched in a similar fashion as before. The look on the leader's face was one of fear and anger, I couldn't tell exactly which. I smiled back at him, prepared to handle the rest of these thieves.

I knew it would look bad, not only to myself, but to the Royal Knights as a whole if I slaughtered a bunch of Hylians, crooks or not. That in mind, I made quick movements to disarm and immobilize the two bandits I dismounted. I swung the blunt of my sword at their hands to break their grip and throw their blades far away. My movements were too quick for them to even follow and they soon found themselves on the ground bleeding after I followed up with non-lethal slashes to their knees. Disabled, I took the bow from one of the fallen men and dodged the next few arrows that came my way. After rolling out of the way I stood and fired two quick shots at the shoulders of the two remaining men on my left. My shots hit home and I heard their screams then the men quickly hit the ground. Another two shots came from my right. I over compensated my dodge for the first, and left an opening for the second archer to hit. I felt the sting when the arrow entered in my side, right in my ribs. I could tell it wasn't deep, but I had to deal with these archers quick. I snapped the end of the arrow then non-lethally dispatched the other two, similar to before.

Six men lay on the ground around me rolling in pain, unable to move. In moments I reduced this bandit group to a single man, and only caught one arrow to the ribs. I couldn't help but praise myself internally, _Not bad for a six-on-one. _I was torn from my thoughts when I heard the leader speak, "Not bad, hero. They aren't the best group of men I got, but I give you my praise. Let's see if your legendary swordsmanship is all it's cracked up to be." I let out a labored breath, I was losing blood and I could tell it would slow me down. _"Master, you should take this more seriously. Your strength is waning quickly from your wound and he is more powerful than he looks."_ I groaned in response to Fi, then dropped the bandit's bow. _Let's get this over with._

Their leader wasted no time, charging me full tilt. I quickly blocked and recoiled from the blow and took his strike, _Holy shit, he's strong._ I pushed his sword back with everything I had and almost knocked him on his ass, but he stood up tall "Here I was thinking the hero of the Goddesses had some legendary strength, that's all you could manage?" I held my tongue, seeing as I was already having trouble breathing. I gritted my teeth and took the offensive. I was impressed he could keep up, even in my weakened state. His movements were familiar, professional, and well-timed. "If you fight like the rest of the Royal Knights, I'll have no trouble keeping up with you, boy. They were my brothers once, too." I widened my eyes and lost focus, long enough for him to parry my blow and bash me with his elbow. I was dazed when he brought a long slash across my chest that cut right through my armor. I fell to my knees from the pain, _Fuck! I gotta keep my focus. He can't be serious, right? _

I was feeling weaker by the second, blood dripping from my chest and side much more quickly now. He threw a heavy blow overhead and I barely blocked it, his sword glancing off my own then into my right shoulder. I dropped my sword and he smirked, "Now you have no arm to swing with, boy. It's hopeless! Give up now and I'll at least spare the princess, for now." His devilish grin filled my sight and I couldn't stifle my smile that turned into a laugh. His expression angered when I stood, "Something funny about that, boy?!" I stopped laughing, keeping the smile, "Well I just know something you don't. I'm not right-handed." I reached with my left hand and grabbed my broadsword. His expression turned from anger, to fear with the realization. With renewed speed and quicker, more precise strikes, it took me only moments to put him on the defensive. Struggling to keep up, the leader was quickly stepping back to avoid my slashes until he lost his footing. On the ground, beneath the point of my sword, he dropped his own and raised his hands in defeat. He cackled a little, "You really had to let me think I had a chance didn't you, boy? Well get it over with, you won, kill me already." I raised my blade high above my head, and brought the blunt side against his skull to knock him out.

It wasn't long after that I had each man restrained to their horses, doubling up a few with the two whose horses ran off. I whistled loud and a few moments later, the princess returned to the scene. She quickly gasped at the sight of me and dismounted to embrace me, "Ow, please, Zelda, ow." She was sobbing and quickly let go, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry." More gently she stroked my arms, particularly my right shoulder, "Will you be okay, Link?" I shrugged, and grimaced while doing so, "Shouldn't be a problem." I tried to smile, but the strain of all the talking and rounding up the bandits took its toll as I collapsed to my knees. Zelda gasped again and dropped down to catch me under my arms. She whistled and our horses returned. With her help and everything I had left, I mounted Epona and collapsed on her neck. Zelda grabbed her reigns and rode close alongside Epona, leading our small caravan of criminals.

I was in and out of consciousness for the next few hours, only seeing the wilds pass us as we traveled. In what seemed like no time, we were outside the city walls. I mustered what strength I had to sit up, _I can't look weak in front of the people, the hero has to be strong. _I felt Zelda's gaze on me and I turned to meet her cautious eyes. I simply nodded to assure her I was fine. Soon after, the guards at the gate saw our horses, and the several in tow, and ran to meet us. Zelda quickly spoke, "This group of lowlifes attempted to steal from us and kidnap me. If not for my appointed knight they would have been successful, see to it that they are put in chains immediately." Without hesitation, the soldiers grabbed the tow line from her, "Yes, princess it will be done. We will send a rider ahead to ensure your knight has proper accommodations to be healed upon your arrival." She nodded in approval at the soldier and the men ran off. Shouted orders and rattling chains could be heard behind us as we rode through the gates.

The ride through the city was a little awkward, there were a lot of prying eyes. I knew I looked like shit, _Posture up, eyes front, straight face. _In my head I repeated the captain's words from countless hours of formation. These people needed to see a hero, not some weakling being led around by the princess. The gates to the castle walls were already open, and I noticed the large group that was awaiting our arrival. The Sheikah woman, Impa, was standing behind the king alongside a small detachment of royal knights. Additionally, there were a few nurses and a doctor nearby with a stretcher for me. Once we were within a few yards my trained instincts kicked in, _The king should never stand at a level below me, a knight, for any reason. _I went to dismount, to show my respect, and I quickly lost my footing. I could hear gasps around me when I slowly rose to a knee, right arm across my chest in salute to the king. My shoulder throbbed from the action, but the pain meant nothing to me. "I brought her back safely, just as you ordered, your highness." I felt a few pairs of hands grab under my arms and start to flip me around to the stretcher that was approaching. I heard a hearty laugh from the king, "You sure did, young man. You gonna be okay, son?" I barely managed a grin when my vision started to blur and I was asleep again.


	16. Chapter 16: Guidance

Chapter 16: Guidance

I felt a familiar sensation of heat on my face, the sun was out. _Am I outside?_ I strained to open my eyes and was almost blinded. It was cloudy, and the ground wasn't soft like I'd expected grass to be. _Where the hell am I? _I rolled to my side and took in the large castle, it was Hyrule castle, looming in the distance. "That was a close one, don't you think, kid?" I turned toward the voice and stood. Far away the foreign, yet familiar voice approached. The voice came from a young man wearing a strange green tunic. "Who are you? And where am I?" With no answer he continued to approach.

When he was just a few feet away I started to recognize something. His hair was a darker blonde than my own, his tunic had a chain mail shirt peeking out and a strange green hat to top it off. He studied me intently, with a piercing and determined gaze. One like a wolf who just spotted their prey. I had never seen him before, but I knew exactly who he was, "The Hero of Twilight, but how? What is this place?" He smirked at my questions and replied, "Let's take a seat, we need to talk."

"A close brush with death, young hero. You're lucky to be alive." I dropped my head in shame but his quick laugh brought my eyes back up to him, "To answer your questions, this place is a part of you, of us. All of the goddesses' heroes exist in you, in the past I too was brought here to learn a few lessons." I laughed at that, "Lessons? You were one of the greatest heroes to exist, I've read so many stories about your incredible skill." He smiled back at that, "Well that skill wasn't self-taught, bud."

It all made sense now, "So what did you learn, who taught you? And what are you here to teach me?" He smiled again, "The Hero of Time appeared to me and taught me swordsmanship, you're the best of us when it comes to that so that's not why I'm here. I'm here to teach you humility. Your last fight almost got you killed, and you're starting to get too confident in yourself. You've gotten stronger, yes, but that's no excuse for how you acted in that fight. Your previous encounters got to your head and you thought yourself more formidable than you are. You haven't yet fully mastered the blade you wield. While you are a very powerful knight you have to understand the flaw that is underestimating any opponent. Take it from me, never underestimate your opponent. This is my knowledge, my gift to you." With that last sentence he began to fade into fog, disappearing, my vision going black again.

My shoulder hurt, and I was struggling to open my eyes. I wasn't in that weird place because I could feel the softness of a bed below me. I tried to sit up and a palm on my left shoulder stopped me, "Stay down, Master Link, you need to relax a little longer. Your injuries are pretty severe." I finally got my eyes open and saw the doctor, a small-framed, brown-haired man was gently holding me down with a concerned look, "We got you patched up just fine, you'll need to take it easy for a few days, though. You've healed very quickly over the last three days, surprisingly quickly I might add." _Three days? What about the princess? Is she safe? I gotta go! _I pushed hard against the doctor's hand, overcoming his hold quickly. "Master Link! You have to stay down, you aren't well enough yet!" I pushed my way past him, grabbed the master sword, and opened the infirmary door. I could tell I was near the barracks so I went straight to my room to get dressed.

There was no lack of strange looks on the way to my building, but no one stopped me except for the doctor in pursuit. His craziness and yelling were causing laughter from the knights and recruits. He met me in my room shortly after I arrived, but I already had my pants and undershirt changed. He continued to berate me, "Master Link, please listen. You have to rest, don't make this harder on yourself." Unfortunately for the doctor, I had a job to do and I'd slacked for too long. _"Master, he's right. You're not back to full strength, but with the power granted by the goddesses it won't be long." _I knew Fi was right, I could feel the pain throughout my body. But if what she said was true, I could deal with the pain for a day or two and still complete my daily tasks as the princess' champion.

The doctor looked down dejectedly when he understood his constant nagging was futile. "Well, Master Link, I see no amount of guidance will sway you. If that's the case I'll notify the King of your return. But please, take it easy." I nodded in reply, now fully clothed and ready to serve. The doctor took his leave and I followed behind. Other knights and trainees were in the hallway, soon they swarmed to ask questions, "What happened, Link? Where did you go? Did you kill anything? Who did this to you? Will you be okay?" I put my hand up to silence the men, "If you guys want to know, we can talk at dinner tonight, I'll come back and we can discuss everything. For now, I have to return to duty." Pleased with that answer, the men backed off and I limped through the group. I could see the concern on some of their faces, especially Johnny's when he arrived. I couldn't help but smile, it had been a few days since I'd seen him. We shared a brief hug, "You look banged up, how's the other guy?" He laughed after he spoke, I replied, "In prison," we walked and talked, "it was a group of bandits, they ambushed the princess and I on the way back from Zora's Domain. The bandits were easy, but this guy was tough," I leaned closer as soon as we exited the barracks, "he mentioned he was a former Royal Knight." At this revelation Johnny was aghast, "What's his name? Did you recognize him?" I shook my head, "Didn't give a name and no. I'm sure he's being questioned now along with his crew. If I learn anything, I'll be sure to tell you. Hey, have you been practicing for the tournament? It's only a few days away now with my little nap." He nodded and flexed jokingly, "Hell yeah, brother! They moved the tournament back a few days, not sure why. I'm stronger than ever, though, so good luck keeping up." I smiled at his antics and we shared a laugh, "Don't get too cocky, bud. Well I'll come back for dinner tonight, I'll tell you more about my trip. See ya later, bud." He smiled and gave me another hug, "Get better, brother." With a nod we separated, him to the training yard and myself to the castle.

A few of the royal guards flashed concerned glances my way, I simply nodded to quell their worries. Not long after an attendant rushed to my side, "Master Link, please follow me. The king will see you for a full report of your trip." After a few moments, he bowed to me and gestured to the king's study. I bowed respectfully in return, and knocked on the door. Another attendant, a female this time, cracked the door, "I'll retrieve you shortly, Master Link. The king is currently having a discussion with the princess." I bowed in reply and shakily stood guard outside the room.

It was almost a half hour later when the door opened, the princess followed by two royal knights. I bowed to her respectfully, "Princess." She flashed a grin and returned my gesture with a nod, "Master Link." I could feel her gaze as she walked away with the knights who all saluted me, which I returned. I heard the booming voice of the king, "Young man, come on in." As soon as I entered, I saluted the king, "Take a seat, Link. The stories my daughter relayed sound exciting. I'm hoping you can fill in a few details if she missed anything." I took a seat before him, "Yes, your highness. I'll start from the beginning. The ride to the Domain was rather uneventful, until we were ambushed by a small group of Lizalfos…"

"Then I retaliated, using my left hand. The bandit leader was quickly overwhelmed by my assault. After I tied up all of the bandits and put them on horses, the princess assisted me in mounting my own before I passed out. We soon arrived in the city, and I'm sure you're aware of our story from there, your highness." He had sat silent, respectfully listening to my almost full recount of our journey. I'm sure the princess did the same as I did. Omitting a few, rather scandalous details from her story. It didn't sit particularly well to lie to my king, but her reputation, not to mention my neck, was on the line. It would ruin her completely if any of our shared moments were revealed to her father, or worse, the public.

With my story finished, he stroked his beard and spoke, "Truly those stories were incredible, thank you for the report, young man. You know, your doctor sent someone to me. He said you should still be resting, are you completely sure you're fit for duty so soon?" I nodded and replied, "Of course, your highness. I may not be back to full strength, but I'm still fit enough to serve you well." He smiled at me with a small laugh, "Very well, Link. I trust your judgement. Will you be fit enough for the tournament? I had it set back a few days to make sure you had some time to recover." _So that's why the tournament was pushed back? Just for me? _"Yes, your highness. I should be back to 100% in the next two days." Pleased with that answer, the king stood and I followed suit. Taking the hint, I saluted and he spoke with finality, "Make sure you're back to full strength. I expect a show from our hero." I nodded and smiled at his statement. With that he gestured to the door and I took my leave. _I'm sure I can sneak in a little training tonight, all of this movement has loosened up the stiff pain in my muscles._

After my meeting with the king, I was soon brought before an official to put my report in writing. We spent a few hours taking in the trip, in detail. We shared lunch and once the official report was done, I was sent to guard the throne room. I stood at the foot of the staircase beside a few other high-ranking Royal Knights. The king, and princess had several meetings with some of Castle Town's officials to discuss new policies. A few boring hours later and it was time for dinner. My legs were a little sore, but the pain from my injuries was almost gone. After being dismissed I saluted the royalty, earning a sly grin from the princess, _She really should be more careful, we'll have to discuss it later. _In the mess hall, I was swarmed again by fellow knights and trainees. Luckily Johnny was there to help me make a hole through the crowd. Once I was seated, the group around my table started to quiet down so I took the hint, "I'll spare the boring details and start with my first encounter, we were almost to Zora's Domain when a Lizalfos' arrow zoomed past me…"


	17. Chapter 17: Dinner and a Walk

Chapter 17: Dinner and a Walk

A few days came and went. I spent most of my time standing guard in the throne room and training. Because of the tournament, I had been practicing with a regular sword more often than the Master Sword. I had to make sure I was comfortable with the swords' weight difference. I was pretty much back to tip top shape, my wounds now just scars, the pain almost completely subsided. The tournament was tomorrow, so there was a great deal of preparation to be done. I was always at the king's side as his personal guard. The princess would occasionally join for preparations and tournament meetings. It was difficult to keep my composure after our previous, encounters during our trip. _I'd be lying if I wasn't ready for our next "adventure", but these thoughts need to take second place to my duties. _I shook my head clear and focused on our current situation, avoiding the princess' intermittent looks, _We're gonna need to have a conversation about that soon. _

With preparations nearing completion, it was getting close to dinner time. The king invited me to the royal dining hall, to officially show his thanks for protecting the princess, "Link, don't be bashful. You're more than welcome to join us for dinner, we want to officially show our thanks for your brave acts." I knew it was fruitful to argue against king, so I bowed in agreement. He dismissed me to prepare for dinner and since I was dining with royalty, I knew I'd need to dig in the back of my closet for my dress uniform. With his permission I took my leave, heading straight to the barracks.

After a quick cleanup, I stole some of Johnny's cologne and started digging in my closet. I pulled out my nice uniform. The cap was never really my style, but the beret-shaped hat complemented the uniform well. It was all dark blue, gold and red-accented with tall white boots and mid-forearm length white gloves. Only reserved for special occasions, I deemed this royal dinner more than worthy of my dress uniform. It took several minutes to get my medals on in the proper position and snip any stray fibers. Once it was perfect, I got myself dressed in just a few minutes. Johnny came in while I was dressing, "Whoa, pretty boy! Where are you off to?" I smiled at him and replied sarcastically, "Your mother invited me to dinner." He laughed at me and asked again, "Alright, asshat, seriously though?" I laughed myself and replied, "Well, the king invited me to dinner and I can't exactly show up in my normal uniform." He nodded and agreed, "Well, fancy pants, don't say anything stupid. I'd hate to see you beheaded for flirting with the princess." I flipped him off and he left to do his own thing. _Better get stepping, it's getting close to dinner time!_

I was met at the front door of the castle by a servant, "Master Link, this way." We made our way through the winding halls to the royal dining room. It was a rather small, very ornate room. Marble flooring, decorative drapes with the royal family's insignia, a large, engraved oak table with six leather seats, and windows with a view of the garden. While it was getting dark, the torch lights around the garden gave a beautiful reflection off the fountains and ponds. I was the first in the room so the servant spoke, "The king and princess will be arriving shortly, please wait here, Master Link." He bowed and I returned the formality, I returned my gaze to the garden outside and took in the view.

After about twenty minutes, a servant cracked the door, "The king and princess are here." I stepped away from the window and prepared myself. The king entered first followed by the Sheikah, Impa, I saluted the king which he returned before taking a seat. Shortly after, Zelda came in with her own pair of guards. _Holy shit. _She had a dress that wasn't unlike her traveling gear. It was a blue and white, long-sleeved dress with gold inlays. The sleeves were white with long, draping blue sleeves over those. She discreetly cleared her throat which brought me out of my stupor. I saluted her as well and hid my reddening cheeks from the rest of the crowd. She took her seat and, when given permission, I quickly followed suit.

The table was only occupied by the king, princess, Impa, and myself, with the room occupied by a handful of Royal Guards and a servant. It didn't take long for the king to start a conversation, "So, Link, tell me a bit more about this sword of yours. It truly speaks to you? How does that work?" I took a sip of wine and responded, "Yes, your highness, it speaks to me and I to it on a pretty frequent basis. The sword harbors a spirit called Fi, she helps guide me on my journey and assists in training with the Master Sword. She's taught me a great deal." Everyone in the room was visibly interested in this, "So, that's how the goddesses train you then? With this spirit, Fi?" I nodded after another sip, "Not only that, your highness. I've also been contacted by a previous hero, the Hero of Twilight. When I was in the infirmary, we spoke and he taught me a little about being a hero." Now I really had the room's attention. This time, the princess spoke with a smile, "Master Link, tell us more about this encounter with the other hero." It was hard to say no to that smile.

Dinner was delicious. It was steak and fish with potatoes spiced perfectly, I was half-tempted to ask the cook for his recipe. Unfortunately, I was cut off before I could ask when the princess spoke, "Father, I'd like to go for a walk in the garden." He nodded and replied, "Of course, my dear. Link, I'd like you to accompany her. Make sure she gets back safely," at that news, I saw Zelda's cheeks reddened which didn't go unnoticed by Impa who looked at her, then me. I felt the heat rise in my cheeks as well before lowering my gaze from the Sheikah. The king continued, "Before you go, however, I'd like to give you a gift. To show our gratitude for your heroic acts." I was about to protest when I saw the gift, a servant I hadn't noticed before was carrying it. An exquisite looking sword, held in a gold accented, blue sheath. It had a swept-back, gold guard and a blue cloth-wrapped handle. The blade was unsheathed to reveal a silver-colored blade with gold inlays throughout, "I know it isn't the Master Sword, but it never hurts to have an extra blade handy. Plus, it would be an unfair advantage to use it at the tournament tomorrow. I hope it serves you well." The blade was sheathed and handed to me, I strapped it to my hip and bowed to the king, "I can't thank you enough, your highness. You're too generous, I was only doing my job." The king shook his head and stood, "Nonsense, young man. You protected my daughter on multiple occasions, and for that I can't be generous enough. Now, Zelda, if you'd like to take your walk I'll be going to bed. I have an early morning. Link, see to it she's watched over." I saluted in response and the king and Impa made their exit. On the way out, Impa turned back to me. My gaze was met by her piercing red eyes. They were shooting me a glare that conveyed warning. I quickly averted my eyes when the princess spoke, "Let's go, Master Link. It's getting late." _Well at least we'll get a chance to talk, alone._ With her words, I saluted and followed her lead.

A few minutes later, we were deep in the garden, away from prying eyes. I was thinking about what to say, how to approach our situation. It was clear this inner turmoil was outwardly visible, because I felt a hand on mine, and looked up to see a pair of concerned, green eyes, "Is something wrong, Link? You look distressed." I looked up and sighed, "Zelda, we can't act like this anymore. At least, not if we're here. You have to understand, this could get you in a world of trouble." She looked down and spoke, "I know Link, it's easy to forget that when I'm around you. But I do understand, maybe we should keep our space while we're here at the castle. It'll quell any suspicion." It wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear, but she was right. Spending too much time around each other would only give more time for people to take notice of the looks and smiles that pass between us. Hell, even the past few days when I was standing guard I struggled to keep my eyes from hers. But it was for the best we kept it professional, at least here at home.

She broke me out of thought by squeezing my hand, "Hey, on a lighter note, I spoke to my father about our next destination. We'll be going somewhere a little, well, a lot hotter. The Goron champion has been chosen, his name is Daruk. They told me he's a truly fearsome and powerful warrior. He should prove a worthy fight for my hero." She smiled and blushed, to match the blush rising on my own face, "We'll see about that won't we, Zelda?" I grinned back and the tension was palpable, I knew where this was going when she leaned in but, "Zelda, we can't. Not here." Her hand was gentle and soft on my cheek with her other arm around my neck. I was struggling to keep my hands to myself, "Link, no one is out here but you and me. Nobody will know," she leaned closer, her breath was warm on my neck. I leaned into her and wrapped my arms around her waist, "We're going on that trip to Death Mountain after the tournament, right? It would be safer to just wait a bit and," my breath hitched when I felt her lips on my neck. In between kisses she just whispered, "Come on, my hero. Just indulge me tonight." I thought it over a bit longer, _I mean she's right, no one is out here. A little smooching never hurt anyone_... That thought was cut off by her lips on mine.

I wasn't sure how long we spent out there together, just holding each other with locked lips, all I know is I wasn't ready for it to end. When we finally separated for a breath, she spoke first, "Let's get back, Link. It's getting late and, well, we just talked about not raising suspicion. Will you walk me back to my room?" I held her and nodded, "Of course, Zelda. I promised to keep an eye on you." With that she nodded and we separated completely, heading back to the castle. A short walk later, we were at the doors to her room. Alone in the hallway we both looked around, then she grabbed my hand, "Come in with me?" My eyes widened at that, I kept my voice low, "Zelda, I can't, we can't. If I'm caught in there, alone, with you," she silenced me with a deep, quick kiss, "Please, Link?" her begging eyes were intoxicating, and the wine from dinner wasn't doing any favors, "I'm sorry, Zelda, we can't. Not now, at least, not yet." She looked down defeated, but nodded, "I know, I guess the wine just got to me," she smiled that beautiful smile, "I had an amazing night, Link. Good luck at the tournament, I'll be cheering for my hero." Another passionate kiss later and I let her go. It was bittersweet, but we'd have more time, later. "Goodnight, Zelda." She passed through the door and turned around, "Goodnight, Link."


	18. Chapter 18: The Tournament Pt 1

Chapter 18: The Tournament Pt 1

I couldn't sleep all night, I tried for an hour or two but I couldn't with the rush of emotions from the evening. I figured I might as well spend what time I had before the tournament training with my new gift, the sword from the king. I threw on my training uniform and made my way to the training yard. This new sword was impeccably well-balanced, light, but durable. I tested it on some dummies in the training yard and cut clean through their wooden frames without so much as a scratch on the blade. I decided I'd keep the Master Sword on my back for the tournament, but I wouldn't let it leave the sheath. Like the king said, the blade would give me an unfair advantage in any fight and probably damage any sword swung against me. That being said, it would give me plenty of time to train my versatility with other weapons other than my go-to. It would be morning soon and all of the contestants would gather outside the castle gates, _let's try this thing against metal._

Soon enough, the sun rose above the horizon. I saw several trainees and knights follow my example and begin training in the yard before the tournament. I participated in a few sparring matches, some of the guys wanted to test their skill against mine before the fights began. After about ten matches I called off my training, with the sore, sweaty bodies all around the training ring. I just started sweating myself, _I guess I'll go get checked in for the tournament. I might be needed to assist with final preparations._ Leaving my brothers behind, I gave a small wave followed by a chorus of goodbyes.

On the way to the check in station by the gates, Johnny caught up with me, "Hey, man! You ready for this thing?" I nodded, my hand resting on the hilt of the blade on my hip, "Wow! That sword looks amazing! Where'd you get that? Did the king give you that yesterday?" I nodded again, unsheathing it and spinning the blade away from him so he could grab the handle. Taking it from my hand, Johnny looked the blade up and down, "Incredible, this might be the best sword in Hyrule! Other than the Master Sword, obviously." We smiled and talked on the way to the gates. I tried to hold back the thought of inevitably having to fight my long-time friend in the tournament. Up until now, it had always been playful sparring or purely training. This was going to be everything we had, 100% all-out. I felt bad because I already knew how our fight would end, but I wanted to give him a good fight and I knew he wouldn't take anything less than everything I had.

Getting closer to the gate I started to notice fighters from across Hyrule, humans alongside Gorons, Ritos, and Zoras. Fighting against these different fighters with different styles and strengths would be incredibly beneficial and even further hone my combat skills. I switched from concern for my friend to getting all fired up for the fights. At the check-in station me and Johnny both gave our names and we were given pins to identify us as participants in the tournament. Before we walked off I asked the attendant, "Can you check the list for a particular person? I was wondering if the Goron, Daruk, would be fighting today." The attending gestured for a moment and scanned the stack of papers. A short moment later, "Unfortunately, Daruk will not be participating in the tournament. I don't see their name anywhere." I couldn't act like I wasn't a little upset, but I was comforted by the fact I'd be seeing him for a proper fight soon.

The tournament rules were revised since the king moved the tournament day back for me. Instead of tryouts beforehand, there would instead be fifteen rings, each about forty feet across, running at once to quickly narrow the pool. There wouldn't be single elimination for this portion, participants would instead be required to win three matches before losing two. Each fighter was given plenty of time between each of their fights, and the times and fighters for each standoff would be updated every twenty minutes. Those that passed this round would move on to an actual tournament bracket, single elimination. With several rings running at once, this portion would move rather quickly. This set up wasn't quite as efficient as before, but rescheduling already messed up visiting fighters from the other races. This would allow the tournament to only take up the day, but it would be a long ass day.

Everyone was checked in a ready to fight by breakfast time. Johnny went his own way, since he had a first round fight, to get close to his ring. Fighters were given portions to eat, to save time while the king welcomed the participants and visitors. There were thousands of people of all races present, and well over 150 participants. The King was seated on a raised-up set of bleachers with the princess and other officials surrounded by guards. From his seat I figured he could see every ring laid out, but there were other sets of bleachers at each ring if he wanted to focus on a particular fight. He stood from his seat and the crowd grew silent in anticipation, "Welcome, visitors, to this great tournament. I'm grateful you could all make it and I thank you for being patient with the delay. I wish you all good luck and may the goddesses watch over you all. Let the tournament begin!" With that there was thunderous applause and everyone took of to their respective ring. I didn't have a fight for about an hour, depending on how quickly each battle went, so I approached decided to watch a battle with a Goron participant.

I wandered around until I found one and saw one of the rock men squaring off against a burly Hylian. The Goron had a large sledgehammer and wore nothing but a smile. The Hylian was brandishing a broadsword and shield. I asked around until I got an answer, "What's the name of that Goron? Do you know anything about him?" I was overheard by another nearby Goron, "His name's Gorko. Our strongest brother besides our chief, Daruk. Second to only the chief in his combat prowess, that Gorko is an incredible fighter." I was super-pumped now; my chest was on fire with excitement. I couldn't wait to watch this battle.

The official entered the ring to state the battle's rules, "No killing, avoid debilitating injuries, knock out of the ring, yield, or knockout your opponent." The contestants nodded, the official backed off, "Ready? Fight!" With that a clash of metal on metal rung out. The Goron's hammer slammed into the Hylian's shield. A huge dent caused the Hylian to widen his eyes if fear. emOh goddesses, he's so strong! This is incredible! /emWith another swing of the hammer, the Goron swept out the Hylian's feet. Gorko dropped his hammer and grabbed the man's legs in one hand and his neck in another. Easily lifting the Hylian, Gorko held him over his head. With a battlecry, and screams of fear from the man, Gorko tossed the Hylian right out of the ring. "Our winner is, Gorko of Death Mountain!" Gorko raised his hand high, and picked up his hammer in his other hand. The whoops and cheers from every Goron nearby were heard while a medical team ran up to help the Hylian contestant. _Oh, I need to fight that guy_.

After wandering for a while, I noticed this Gorko was the only Goron contestant. I wasn't really interested in watching the Zoran fighters since I'd spent so much time when I was younger sparring with Mipha and their other great warriors. The Rito intrigued me, however, since I'd never personally sparred with any before. I'd heard stories of fights against them, but that was all the information I had on them. I was curious to watch a fight with a Rito but I had to make it to my first fight before that. Of course, as if I was being punished by the goddesses, my first fight was against a Rito named Fyson. I hadn't heard anything about him yet, so I had to size him up on sight alone. He was rather small, thin, brown and white feathered, with a small dagger and a bow. I'd never had trouble countering projectiles with my sword, especially now with the power of the Master Sword. But with a small frame on a warrior came speed, which I needed to keep an eye on. "Contestants, to the center!" The official called out and Fyson and I met in the middle. He had a sharp, calculating gaze. He was sizing me up just like I had done to him. The official restated the rules, "Ready? Fight!


End file.
